


Never let me go (Pietro Maximoff AOU x Reader)

by alice_maximoff



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Drama, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friendship, Love, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-29 14:27:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 67,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3899659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_maximoff/pseuds/alice_maximoff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.<br/>He didn't see her coming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The silver haired boy

“You… you should have done better…”  
Those were his words. As if they had been uttered just a moment before, they kept resounding in (y/n)’s head: over and over like the beat of a drum.  
“I should have saved him” were the only coherents thoughts in her mind.  
She looked at him again. The vision of his lifeless body and his gaze lost in the sky became blurred… He was her brother…  
(Y/n) buried her head in her trembling hands and rocked back and forth. She was unable to speak, unable to breath, unable to think… There was nothing inside her… The world around became a blur of colours that melted to gray. The weight in her chest and locks in her throat were unbearable…  
“Clint…” she whispered, “you can’t die…” her voice broke at that point. Her brother was not going to get up. He was death.  
She lay down next to him, her gaze lost in the same sky.  
“Don’t leave me, Clint” she cried.  
___________________________  
“Stop it, Wanda”, said the silverly-blonde haired boy.  
Wanda looked at him, confused, while her hands still surrounded (y/n)’s head, reddish energy emanating from them.  
“… you can’t die…” (y/n)’s voice cracked.  
Her low pray clutched at Pietro’s heart. He observed that girl suffering, her eyes filled with pain…  
“Stop it, Wanda!” he yelled, but the Scarlet Witch continued manipulating (y/n)’s mind.  
“Well, you didn’t seem to care when I did the same to the other Avenger… Romanov…”  
Pietro kneeled next to his sister and (y/n).  
“What is her vision about?”  
“It's her worst nightmare: her brother dying. By the way, his brother is Hawkeye” she informed as more reddish flames entered in (y/n)’s head, “So, if I were you, I would be careful when asking her out” she said cheekily.  
Pietro took hold of one of her sister’s hand and moved it away from (y/n). Red energy vanished from them while Wanda looked at him surprised.  
“Why are you making her see that? She must be going through a lot of pain right now!”  
“For god’s sake, Pietro! She’s an Avenger! She’s in their side! She’s in Stark’s side!” But, as she spoke, she saw suffering in her brother’s eyes.  
“Even if she’s not in our side, she doesn’t deserve to see her brother dying” he said meaningfully.  
Pietro took one of (y/n)’s hands. They were cold, and her eyes were still fixed in a far away point. She breathed heavily.

That was the first time Pietro was so close to her. He had seen her before, when the Avengers broke into the building to stop Ultron from getting the vibranium. In that moment, which had just happened half an hour ago, she stood behind Stark and Hawkeye, her brother.

And the first time their eyes met, his heart began pumping madly.

She had an air of carefree confidence, noticeable in her (e/c) eyes, that moved around the place, inspecting it. She had a serene but fierce look in her soft face. Her long and (h/c) hair spilled down between her shoulders wildly, with some locks caressing the skin of her collar bone.  
Her thin pink lips curved into a half smile as she looked at him. She had noticed how he had been studying her features. Her look was still fierce but curious as she winked at him. Pietro smirked. Definetly, that girl was (y/n).  
Ultron had already informed them about her. She also had powers, like them. She was dangerous, but unexperienced. Her weak point was her brother and team mates, for whom she deeply cared (and viceversa).

In addition, as he had seen some minutes ago, she was a formidable fighter.  
And she had an unnerving effect on him, which he tried to push aside so that he could focus on the fight.

In that moment, she was there, lying on the floor. When Pietro touched her hand, he felt a tingling sensation throughout his body.  
Her breath was going back to a normal pace.  
___________________________________

(Y/n) blinked several times. She wasn't with his brother anymore.

Just some centimetes away from her face, two electric blue eyes where gazing intensely at her.  
She blinked again, surprised. Suddenly, she realised of her situation: the vision of her brother’s death was just that, a vision. The Maximoff girl. She had done it, and right in front of her was the other Maximoff twin, Pietro, who was looking… Worried? How could he be worried? Why hadn’t he attacked her yet?  
The silver haired boy grinned cheekily at (y/n).  
“Like what you see?” he said in a soft voice with his strong accent.  
He was holding her hand and she could feel her heart throb.

Pietro Maximoff... She had seen him half an hour ago. While she inspected the building, she noticed his look. He was probably trying to discover any weak point or reassuring his tactics against her. When she met his look intentionally, she couldn’t help to notice his breath-taking blue electric eyes, partially covered by some silver hair locks. His finely toned body along with his smirk attempted to melt her heart, but she set aside her strange and sudden feelings. She smiled at Pietro, challenging him with a fierce look.  
“If that’s his tactic, it won’t been succesfull” she thought.

But, in that moment, her own words echoed like a reminder for her trembling body.

Making an effort, she stood up rapidly, distancing herself from the silver haired boy. Next to him, she saw the responsible of her painful vision. (Y/n) would need some time to get it out of her head.  
Slowly, and analysing the twins' movements, she began to concentrate her power down to her hands.  
Pietro was still gazing at her in a genuinelly way. Meanwhile Wanda's hands began to emanate energy.  
"What, you didn't see that coming?" Pietro said.  
"Pietro..." Wanda warned, but she was cut off by a yell.  
“(Y/n)!!” A familiar voice shouted. Wanda looked in the direction where the voice came from, but, before she could realise it, an electric arrow impacted in her forehead, giving her electric discharges across her body.  
Pietro shouted her sister’s name, and before (y/n) could react, he dissapeared, leaving a gust of wind as he sped off with her sister.  
Just a second after, Clint appeared, holding the bow with another arrow ready to shot.  
“Are you hurt?” he asked, fear filled his voice.  
“I’m okay”, she answered.

But (n/y) was not. On the inside, she had a tangled mess of emotions: happiness for seeing Clint alive, fear from that vision, dissapointment, curiosity, and, above all, an unnerving feeling for that silver haired boy.


	2. It was just a dream.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. His forehead pressed against hers.  
Her arms were around his neck. She could feel his eyes watching her every move, from the slight twitch of her lip to the way her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed.

“I don’t want this to end” he sighed.  
(Y/n) tried to remain indifferent. She didn’t want to let him know how much power he had over her in that moment.  
“Don’t lean in. Don’t make it too easy or seem too keen.” She thought.  
“Neither do I”, she answered.  
He brushed her hair back from her shoulder and moved closer. She could feel his lean body pressed up against hers. She felt his warmth and her mind had already placed their lips together.  
But instead, he leaned in to caress her neck, slow and gently, moving his lips closer.  
(Y/n) felt his hot breath, then the tender brush of his lips, burning as they made contact with her skin. His hand ran through her hair, kisses becoming harder and more urgent. His other hand rested in her lower back, pulling her even closer to his body.  
Her knees were trembling and shivers travelled all over her body.  
“Pietro…” a soft moan escaped from her lips.  
The boy’s lips curved in a smile as they travelled to her ear.  
He whispered:  
“Wake up”  
_______________________________  
“Wake up, (y/n)”  
(Y/n)’s mind was fuzzy. The sunlight bathed her skin as she lay on one of the quinjet’s seats. The last remnant of her dream was chased away by the realisation that she was awake again.  
It had been a dream. Oh god, such a wonderful dream… She tried to close her eyes tighter, but the thoughts of what had happened some hours ago at that building forbade her to go back to sleep.  
With a mental sigh she tried to open one eye. But, before she could do it, two strong hands began to shake her by the shoulders.  
“Get up, (y/n)” the voice repeated.  
“What the hell?” she groaned. Who was shaking her? That person was the one who had interrupted her perfect dream…  
“Language” the voice reprehended.  
It was Steve.  
(Y/n) opened her eyes slowly while Steve tried to keep a straight face.  
She blinked several times and looked around. No one else was there. She looked at Steve with a confused expression in her face.  
“Everyone is out already” he answered.  
“Why didn’t any of you woke me up before?”  
“Well…” Steve chuckled, “We did a bet to see who had to wake you up, and I lost”  
(Y/n) contemplated him annoyed.  
“Hey, it’s not that bad!” she said.  
“Well, Clint told us that one day, when he tried to wake you up, you threw him an energy blast. Then you uttered something like “Let me sleep” and continued snoring” Steve laughed.  
“In my defence, the only thing I have to say is that I had a terrible hangover. And I don’t snore!” she said laughing as well, remembering her brother’s face and the burnt in his arm.  
“Well, you don’t snore, but you talk in your dreams…” Steve answered suggestively.  
(Y/n) blushed. What had she said? Oh god, she had been dreaming of Pietro. Was it something about him?  
Steve chortled at her surprised face.  
“Come on Sleeping Beauty” he said while walking out of the quinjet.  
“I see you have already catch up with Disney films” (y/n) chuckled.  
“Oh shut up”  
“Captain, watch your language!”  
___________________________  
His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. His forehead pressed against hers.  
Her arms were around his neck. He could feel the slight twitch of her lip and how her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed.

“I don’t want this to end” he sighed.  
“Neither do I”, (y/n) answered.  
He brushed her hair back from her shoulder and moved closer. He could feel her slender body pressed up against his. He looked at her (e/c) eyes, where he could get lost for hours. Then, he lowered his glance to her lips. Her thin and pink lips… He wanted to kiss them so badly… And her porcelain neck...  
He leaned in to caress it, moving his lips closer. He kissed it slowly. A wave of pleasure ran through his entire body. Her perfume was overwhelming. The scenery gradually disappeared while he got lost in her. His kisses became more urgent, as if someone would suddenly appear and interrupt that moment…  
Which was just what happened.  
Someone was knocking at the door impatiently.  
Pietro opened his eyes slowly. If only he could close them again and go back to that dream, to that feeling… It seemed so real…  
He sighed while he stood up and went rapidly to the door. He opened it and saw Wanda. He considered for a moment to ask her to manipulate his mind so that he could go back to that dream, but when he saw her worried expression his body tensed as he became alert.  
Wanda entered his room. Well, in fact it was not his room. It was just a temporary place to sleep that Ultron had given to them, but it wasn’t a place he would considered himself at home. In fact, he hadn’t had a proper home since so many years ago, that the simple thought of the word “home” sounded strange in his mind.  
“Ultron wants to talk to us” Wanda said, her voice trembling.  
Pietro approached to her. He held her cold hands in an attempt to calm her down.  
“Pietro…” she continued, “I… I think there’s something else going on in here. Ultron… he’s hiding something from us. I have a bad feeling about it, you know? I… I can’t get it out of my head…”  
He hugged her firmly. He knew that feeling. It was the same he had.  
“We will go and talk to him. We will pressure him to tell us something about his plans” but his voice didn’t sound as convincing as he would have wanted to.  
“And if he doesn’t tell us?” Wanda asked.  
“Then we will find out. By ourselves. And if we have to get out of this place, far away from him, we will” he affirmed.  
“Then we will go back to the start. We’ll have nothing. And what about our plan against the Avengers? Against Stark…”  
“We will have each other. And we’ll be safe. Let’s not get worried about other things yet” he smiled.  
“It’s us against the world, isn’t it?” she replied with a sad smile.  
“It has always been that way” he said, leaving a soft kiss in her forehead.  
Wanda closed her eyes and smiled. If she had to fight, she will. And Pietro would be by her side. She tried to focus on that feeling. It almost felt like being at home.  
_______________________  
(Y/n) loved so much that place. It was one of the few places where she could feel at home.  
It had been a while since she hadn’t been there, in Clint’s house. Since Christmas, to be exact. She had missed that place so much… the forests around the small house, the soft cheep of the birds in the morning, the soft wind that blew in that place… and, above all, she had missed the inhabitants of that house. Laura and the kids.  
Laura was a wonderful woman. She was selfless, kind, sweet, wise, and she made Clint happy. (Y/n) considered Laura as her sister. She could always go to her whenever she needed it, and vice versa.  
The kids, or as (y/n) called them, “the small hawkies”, had grown up, but they were still as naughty and lively as always.  
They had been in Clint’s house for two days, recovering from their mission and planning their next move. For (y/n), that few days had been her little holidays.  
In that moment she was outside, near the forest, with her nephews, Callum, Lewis and Nicole. They were holding a small sparrow in their hands.  
“He has a broken wing” said Callum in a soft voice, as if he didn’t want to wake up the sparrow.  
Nicole looked at (y/n) anxiously, “Can you save him?”  
“Let’s see…” (y/n) said as Callum left the bird carefully in the grass.  
She placed her hands above the little sparrow, at some inches from his feathers. The sparrow cheeped softly and Lewis gasped.  
(Y/n) closed her eyes as she began to feel the small creature. She felt his pain, his broken wing. She moved her hands slightly and focused on that area.  
The kids exclaimed as golden glitter clouds emanated from her hands, covering the wing of the sparrow. She ordered the bird’s cells to come back, and she could felt how, slowly, each one revived with new energy. It was such a wonderful feeling.  
But energy can’t be created nor destroyed, and (y/n) had to handle with that consequences. She could heal others, but she had to use her own energy, which left her completely exhausted. She could also throw energy blasts but that energy came from her body as well, so the result was the same: her body suffered.  
She was still training to make the most of her powers, but she still needed a lot of practise. Meanwhile, she was also learning with Natasha and Steve some fighting techniques.  
When energy stopped emanating from her hands the sparrow began chirping.  
(Y/n) opened her eyes and saw the small bird opening his wings. The kids screamed with joy around the little sparrow.  
(Y/n) stood up and headed home, her fingertips still a bit numb from her performance.  
As she entered the house, she noticed that all the Avengers were seated around the table. Well, everyone but Thor, who had gone away some days ago. They all looked at her.  
Then, Bruce got up and said:  
“We know Ultron’s next move.”  
“Get prepared, we are going out”, replied Tony smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you like this chapter! I won't be able to post next one until next week, but I promise there'll be a lovely and awkward moment between Pietro and the reader!  
> Reviews are better than a shirtless Pietro.  
> Stay tuned!


	3. It's been a really long day (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: When I finished writing chapter 3 I noticed it was a bit too long. So I have divided it in two parts. This is the first one. The second part will be published soon. Enjoy!

What (y/n) wanted was to sleep. And a solid night of dreams. Was that too much to ask?  
She drifted into consciousness and then backed out. Random images floated aimlessly around in the pool of her thoughts, as though they were being blown around by a strong and insistent wind. Her thoughts were a blur of images and sounds which melted.  
The sound of a thunder, suspicion, the birth of a strange and single creature…  
A bright gem, the longing for a missing friend, two strong arms…  
Silver locks… Electrifying blue eyes… She sometimes wondered… Maybe that electricity was only due to her own heart, that, at the sole sight of him, beat so fast that could power the whole city.  
“Oh, come on, stop it” she thought to herself.  
She tossed and turned, but couldn’t find the right position. The lingering haze of sleep had seated somewhere at the back of her mind, far away from her reach.  
She tried to make herself fall into slumber by taking deep breaths, but many of them got caught in her throat, as if that strong wind which kept blowing her thoughts had also managed to freeze the air at her lungs.  
“This is going to be a long night” she whispered as she stood up and headed to the kitchen.  
____________________  
10 HOURS BEFORE:  
Helen Cho was a brilliant women. She had managed to create a magnificent invent, the “cradle”. Gratifying and rewarding feelings filled her heart, imposing an air of profound gentleness in her movements.  
But, as Wanda observed her carefully, she noticed that something was lacking in her. Her hands moved in a rhythmical way, so precisely that it seemed artificial. Her dark eyes moved across the lab and its items as she prepared the cradle. But her eyes lacked of a spark.  
Her movements were dull, as if she were performing an acting, following a music she could only hear.  
She didn’t seemed to mind the fact that a great number of robots where next to her creation, manipulating it. She just kept on preparing other things.  
Helen Cho was spiritless.  
She was under mind control.  
Ultron was at the back of the lab, moving some wires as he gave orders to his robots. Wanda placed her cold hand in Pietro’s warm and easy clasp. His eyes were fixed in the cradle, lost in his thoughts.  
“Marvellous, isn’t it?” Ultron’s voice resounded across the lab.  
“What is it for?” asked Pietro in a resolute tone of voice.  
Ultron laughed, or at least that what Wanda interpreted, as she only heard gears grating on her ears.  
“It’s my new body. Made of vibranium, human tissues created by the cradle and an infinite gem. And I must thank you for it. If it wasn't because of you two, this wouldn’t have been possible. We wouldn't have the vibranium... and some other things... It’s such a great combination for a new body… isn’t it, kids?”  
“More like an indestructible combination” Pietro whispered. His blue eyes were dark and filled with apprehension.  
“What is it for?” Wanda asked.  
Ultron didn’t answer . He just looked at them quietly. In that moment, Wanda decided it.  
She approached rapidly to the cradle and extended her arms across it.  
“What are you doing?” Ultron asked angrily.  
But as soon as her hands touched the cradle, an image entered in her mind.  
Out on the rolling skyline, a lancelike ray of blue-white light shot up into the gathering dusk. A clump of five rays blended into one by the distance. An instant later, there was a blinding flash, like sheet-lightning, and a huge ball of varicolored fire belched upwards, leaving a series of smoke-rings to float more slowly after it. That fireball flattened, then spread in a column of incandescent gas, engorging the smoke-rings as it rose, twisting, writhing, changing shape, turning to a dark smoke and belching flame.  
Destruction.  
She opened her eyes. Pietro was next to her. His expression was a mix between worry and fear. That was when Wanda realised that she was screaming. She stopped inmediatly, but her eyes were still wide open, fear and anger radiating from them.  
“You don’t want to kill the avengers. YOU WANT TO KILL ALL BLOODY HUMANITY. YOU HAVE BEEN USING US!” rage burst from her inside.  
“Calm down, little kid. Don’t you see it’s the only solution? Humanity was a mistake. What can you expect from a mistake? I’ll tell you: disasters. I’m not the evil one, I’m just trying to save them” Ultron answered calmly.  
“KILLING THEM IS NOT HE SOLUTION, YOU BASTARD” shouted Pietro, hugging Wanda tightly.  
They both looked at each other. They didn’t need to talk. One look was enough to understand each other’s thoughts.  
Before disappearing in a gust of wind, Wanda let some reddish flames emanate from her hand. They travelled slowly until they reached Helen Cho’s forehead.  
Some seconds after the twins were gone, a spark appeared in the woman’s eyes.  
_____________________  
9 HOURS BEFORE:  
“I don’t understand it ” (y/n) replied, “It's better if I go with Clint, Nat and you. You could need my help”  
“But I want you with Stark and Banner” answered Steve.  
“But-“  
“It’s an order” the Captain replied sharply. As if he had suddenly realised of his voice’s tone, he added softly: “(Y/n), I want you to keep an eye on them. They are willing to do good, but last time Tony ended up creating Ultron. So, whenever the cradle arrives, do not lose sight of it”  
She nodded, aware of Steve’s worries.  
“Oh, and, Steve…” (Y/n) said in a low voice, “Try not to hurt the twins. They are good people… They… They’re just blinded with rage.”  
“I know”, he said, placing his hand in (y/n)’s shoulder. “I’m planning on taking them with us. If they are willing to, of course”  
(Y/n)’s heart escaped a beat.  
“Thank you” she whispered.  
________________________  
7 HOURS BEFORE:  
Both of them had their eyes fixed in the TV which was exposed at the window shop. It showed how a man, dressed in blue, white and red, fought against a horde of rebots which approached to him from everywhere.  
That man was Captain America, and he was fighting Ultron’s robots.  
People walking down the street stopped to look at the TV. They were all intrigued by the man in the news. “Is that our city?”, “What’s going on?” or “Are they really fighting on top of a lorry?” where some of the senteces that anyone who got close to that shop could hear.  
Pietro’s body was stiff and unmovile, but thoughts raced in his mind as he observed the unequal fight. He looked around, surprised of the amount of people who had congregated in front of the shop. He took Wanda’s hand, who was also immersed in her own thoughts, and they exited the crowd slowly. They didn’t want to draw much attention.  
When they were at a certain distance from the people, Pietro talked:  
“Do you remember what mother used to tell us?”  
Wanda was left aghast. They barely mentioned their mother since her death.  
All the memories about her, all the moments they spent together had turned into painful memories. They were sharp and cut right though them everytime. Even the sweet and good moments they had lived were now a knife that killed their already broken heart.  
That’s why it remained as an untold but unforgettable secret.  
“Do it” Pietro said.  
Wanda understood. She placed carefully her hands in his cheeks. As soon as her fingertips touched his skin, images began to enter in her mind.

She was in their house. That house which no longer exists, reduced to rubble and ashes. An aromatic fragrance of baked cookies overpowered every other scent that lingered in the room. She could detect the aroma of a melange of honey drew, orange preserves and dabs of crackling nuts. Her mother was baking cookies while she sang an old Sokovian song.  
Wanda refused to look at her image. Her sole voice made her heart ache.  
Suddenly, two little kids entered the room. They were them. Well, a younger version of them. Their faces were red as they panted from their race. From the place where Wanda stood, she could distinguish guilt in their looks.  
And so did her mother, who asked them, “What have you done this time?” as she approached to them.  
Wanda closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see her. She just focused on listening to them.  
“Nothing” her brother replied inmediatly.  
There was a short and tense silence suddenly interrumpted by Pietro:  
“Wanda did it” he accused.  
Wanda smiled lightly, remembering the little fights her brother and she used to have.  
“Hey!”, said the Wanda of the memory, “ I didn’t throw that stone at Yakov’s window”  
“You did what?!” her mother sounded disgusted.  
“Great, Wanda. Couldn’t you just shut up?”, whispered an angry Pietro.  
“Did you apologise to Yakov?” their mother asked.  
“Of course we didn’t” Pietro replied mockingly, “we run as fast as we could before he noticed.”

 

The memory disappeared. In that moment, she was looking at his brother’s eyes.  
He repeated her mother’s words:  
“Everyone makes mistakes or does bad things. Sometimes, it’s something that we can’t avoid. But you always have to face the consequences of your actions. So go there and fix it. If you do that…”  
“… it won’t be a mistake, but a lesson” finished Wanda. She bit her lower lip, trying to blink away her tears.  
“We have contributed to this situation. We have helped Ultron. We must fight against him and the Avengers could help us. If we do nothing, then we won’t be any better than him”  
Wanda smiled as she pointed the TV: “Then, let’s start helping the captain with that robots”  
“He won’t see us coming” laughed Pietro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hoped you liked the chapter. I'm sorry if it gets too slow, but I considered important to show the reason that made the twins team up with the Avengers.  
> And if you are wondering,  
> "Hey Alice, where's the cheeky Pietro we all love?  
> Then I'll tell you, "Wait for next chapter. Pietro and the reader will meet again" ;)  
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments make Pietro happy.
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	4. It's been a really long day (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here you have the second part. It is a little bit longer than the other.  
> Hope you like it!

Pietro couldn’t understand it. The pillows were fluffed. The temperature in the room was perfect. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get to sleep. His eyes were opened like the entrance to a tunnel. And they kept on staring at the bare ceiling.  
“She must be asleep, just a few rooms from here”. His thoughts kept flying around the young Avenger. Around her smirk, her fierce look…  
Her eyes… When the sun shone down in them, they looked as though they were deep enough to hold a universe. They sparkled like a bright, clear gem lit by the flames of beauty itself. (E/c) tendrils circled her pupil, filling up her iris with every wonder in life, intoxicating him with their deep.  
“Oh, come on, Pietro. This is ridiculous” he said to himself.  
He tossed and turned, trying to get her eyes out of his mind. But he couldn’t find the right position. The lingering haze of sleep had seated somewhere at the back of his mind, far away from his reach.  
So he decided that maybe a warm glass of milk with a pinch of cinnamon in it could help.  
__________________  
6 HOURS BEFORE:  
“Just imagine it, Bruce. It’s a revolutionary idea…” Tony sounded entranced.  
“You know what happened last time” Banner said carefully.  
“For god’s sake, Banner. Everyone makes mistakes. But now, I know how to do it. I know the process. We won’t create another Ultron.”  
“Tony, no” Banner replied categorically.  
“This could be the solution for our problem right now” Tony said slowly, as if he was explaining something important to a little child who couldn’t understand it.  
“Tony, no” Banner repeated. But his voice was unsteady. Stark also noticed it.  
“Tony, yes”  
There was a long silence until Banner replied:  
“Are you sure… I mean, are you sure you can create it?” he asked doubtfully.  
“Thanks god! At last we begin to understand each other” Tony laughed.  
That was it. (Y/n) had been hearing their entire conversation from the other side of the lab’s door. Now, more than ever, she understood Steve’s worries.  
She entered the room.  
Tony and Bruce acted in a normal way, as if nothing had been said. As if they hadn’t just agreed on using the cradle to create a new creature…  
“Has Clint found something about Nat?” Tony asked.  
Clint was on the floor below, trying to get any signal from Natasha, who had been kidnapped by Ultron’s robots during their mission. (Y/n) had been with him, trying to help him and lighten his guilt for leaving Natasha on her own. But Steve had given him strict instructions, and he had to follow them.  
(Y/n) would have wanted to stay more with him, but she also had been given a task by Steve.  
To keep an eye on the cradle.  
She looked at Bruce and Tony.  
“I’ve heard it” she said slowly, making sure they understood her words.  
Stark and Banner turned around to face her. Their expressions had an air of seriousness and defiance.  
“It’s not what you think, (y/n)” said Bruce, “this could be actually a solution” a plea shone in his eyes.  
“And even if it isn’t, It’s already too late, darling”, said Tony pressing a bottom.  
A charge-bar appeared on one of the multiple screens the lab had, and the cradle began to emanate a cold and unnatural blue light. Inside it, at slow motion, something seemed to move.  
(Y/n) began to concentrate her power. Energy travelled along her arms towards her hands. She felt how her shoulders got heavier, and how her hands began to vibrate due to the energy they contained.  
She didn’t want to hurt anybody. She loved and cared a lot about Tony and Bruce.  
(Y/n) didn’t want Bruce to transform into Hulk or to fight against Tony. But she couldn’t let them create another creature to destroy them.  
Her hand rose towards the mess of wires which were behind them.  
But, before she could began to release her energy, a gust of wind crossed the room. It reminded her to the cartoons she used to watch when she was no more than two years old. In them, the characters moved so fast that what they left behind them was just a blurred trail of colour, like in that moment. In no more than one second, a young silver haired boy stood next to Banner, holding some wires while the charge-bar disappeared from the screen.  
“It’s not too late” he said with his strong accent. A provocative smirk appeared in his lips.  
(Y/n)’s breath got caught.  
Pietro.  
Inside her, there was a massive mess of emotions. Her heart began pumping madly as she observed Pietro. That guy who had been chasing her dreams. His strong accent was a sweet tune she would listen to everyday.  
But she set that thoughts aside. She needed to focus on other things. She felt how her energy travelled back to its place in her body.  
“What the hell do you think you’re doing Stark?” shouted Steve, who had just entered in the room.  
“Whoa, captain, language!” said Tony mockingly.  
And, from that point on, what (y/n) remembered was a blur of images and sounds. Everything happened rapidly and made no sense in her mind.  
A bolt of white hot lightning broke the utter blackness of the room, cleaving the night in parts, but just for the briefest of moments. The violent illumination was followed by a thunder that seemed to crack the air, as if the very heavens might split apart.  
Thor.  
His image appeared on top of the cradle, as he crashed his hammer against it. That sound echoed through every inch of (y/n)’s body.  
Darkness enveloped the atmosphere shining its only light: the thunder.  
But there was also another light. A blue and artificial light which came from the cradle. Something inside it was moving.  
Just in that moment a silver haired boy appeared in front of her, standing in the way between her and the cradle. Was he… Was he protecting her? He was staring at the cradle with a worried expression.  
Everybody stopped breathing as a creature emerged from the cold and mystic light. (Y/n) observed the beautiful yet terrifying reflection of that single creature which had just been born.  
Wanda was on one side of the room, far away from the cradle. She was ready to release her energy against that creature. But, before, she wanted to make sure of something.  
She tried to reach the creature’s mind. She was terrified, but prepared to see catastrophe and destruction inside his thoughts.  
But when he contacted his mind…  
Wanda was fascinated by him. He was so innocent, so beautiful, pure and yet so grown-up in his thinking. He had her serenity, and, from the beginning, she could also see her own vision of her future.  
The creature turned around and his eyes felt for the first time on her. The first thing in his new-born mind was a single and simple thought.  
Beauty.  
__________________  
5 HOURS BEFORE:  
After his confusing birth, and when he recognized that he was neither Ultron nor Jarvis, everyone left a sigh of relief.  
That creature was the Vision, and he was going to help them.  
______________________  
Pietro kept running until he perceived the chocolate aroma. He followed that direction until he found the room. The lights were on.  
He entered carefully to the kitchen.  
His blue eyes hovered around the place until they discovered her. She was sitting at the table, with a mug of warm chocolate between her hands, focused on a magazine.  
He couldn’t help but to stare at her. He wasn’t sure if she could be considered as the definition of classical beauty, but her large liquid (e/c) eyes held such an intelligence and serenity that it was impossible for Pietro not to be held prisoner by them. Her cheekbones weren’t especially high and her nose was a little too long to be perfect, but there was an undeniable symmetry to her features, and perhaps that’s what held him so captivated. She wore her long (H/c) hair in a bun, but his mind imagined it long and fluid, lying gently over her shoulder bones, kissing her soft skin.  
“Come on, you need to have the guts to talk to her” he thought.  
(Y/n) hadn’t realised that she was no longer alone on the kitchen until she suddenly blinked and the magazine she was reading was no more in her hands. It was in Pietro’s, who was sitting on the chair next to her in a casual position, just as if he had been there for a couple of hours.  
She couldn’t help but to stare at him.  
She gaped openly as she observed his sharp jaw, chin and cheekbones. On either side of his straight nose were two blazing blue eyes. Spiked, warm and silver hair hovered over his brows, which were arched.  
“Like what you see?” he grinned.  
(Y/n) could feel the heat growing in her cheeks. By that moment, they would be beyond the attractive rosiness.  
“You couldn’t sleep?” she asked him, trying to focus his attention far away from her blushing cheeks.  
“Not after everything that happened up there, you know…” he answered.  
“Your eyes and every memory of you kept me awake” he thought.  
(Y/n) looked directly at his eyes. Her face was serious.  
“Steve told me how you saved a lot of civilians during the mission. You were very brave” she said. She was giving Pietro a genuinely and sweet smile, with just the right touch of shyness.  
An unexpected warmth rushed through him.  
“Why is she focusing on the good things I’ve done after all my horrible actions?” Pietro wondered.  
“It was the least I could do” he replied softly, confused by her kindness.  
“Not many people would have done that”  
“What, saving civilians? I’m pretty sure you do that everyday” he looked at her.  
Her eyes were filled with a kindness that seemed so innocent and endless as the vast and bright ocean. It made happiness travel through his veins and to all his body.  
“Facing one’s mistakes and changing them is not something everybody does.” (y/n) said softly.  
Pietro gazed intensely at her.  
From deep inside his chest, through every cell of his body, a sudden warmth welcomed him like an old friend. It was strange, because he hadn’t felt that way before, and if he had, it had been a long time ago. It scared him but at the same time… he felt as if everything in his tiny little universe was right for the first time.  
“So, what were you reading?” said Pietro, trying to change their conversation before (y/n) realised the effect that her words had in him.  
“Oh, nothing, I…” she felt embarrassed. She was reading a stupid magazine she had found on the kitchen. She didn’t enjoyed reading fashion or gossip magazines, but when she entered the kitchen she was bored and with nothing to do.  
“How to make that guy fall head over heels in love? Whoa, who’s the lucky one?” Pietro asked. He felt curiosity and a bit of… Was that jealousy?  
Was (y/n) in love with someone?  
(Y/n)’s blush seared through her cheeks and, for a minute, she thought her face was on fire. But if Pietro was trying to tease her, she would make it difficult for him to win.  
“Step one” Pietro read, “Smile well and often. Flash a genuine smile at him.”  
He rose his eyes to look at (y/n). The left side of her thin pink lip tugged upward, creating a mischievous smirk on her god like face, casting a spell of lust to eyes that dare look her way.  
Pietro’s breath got caught.  
“Step two” he continued, lowering his eyes to the magazine before her smile made him blush even more. “Try some subtle, ongoing flirting. Keep your body language open. Angle your body towards him…”  
(Y/n) approached to him. Her body leaned towards him as the smirk in her lips broadened. Pietro was about to collapse, his heart throbbing quickly as she got closer.  
In that moment, he had to use all of his mental strength to stop him from grapping her waist and pulling her closer to him.  
“And step three…” he read.  
But, suddenly, (y/n) got up from her chair and headed to the door.  
“Where are you going?” asked Pietro. He was confused… Had he done something wrong?  
He run towards the door, blocking (y/n)’s way before she could hold the door’s latch.  
“Step three” she whispered, “Always leave him wanting more”  
Pietro’s lips lifted upwards. His teeth were perfectly aligned and warmth radiated from his smile. (Y/n) wondered that maybe he was a ray of sunshine, and she… well, she was the sunburn.  
They both gazed intensely at each other.  
His eyes were filled with tenderness and amusement.  
Her eyes radiated boldness and sweetness.  
She had never been so nervous.  
Pietro’s eyes lowered to her lips, desire burning in his eyes. But (y/n) doubted that his desire was as much as the one she felt, burning through her skin.  
“You wouldn’t…” she said cheekily.  
“You greatly overestimate my self-control” he sighed.  
“I’m not looking for self-control” words escaped her mouth before she could even think about them.  
But then, the door opened, pushing Pietro forwards, onto (y/n). They both fell to the floor noisily.  
“Hey Clint, want a coffee?”  
Tony and Clint entered the kitchen, but they both stopped when they saw Pietro on top of (y/n), laying on the floor.  
“What are you two doing?” Clint questioned angrily.  
Pietro got up and helped (y/n) to get up. They couldn’t make eye contact with each other and (y/n)’s blush burned through her cheeks. Her face felt like a hot oven.  
She suddenly felt awkward as she attempted to hide her red cheeks behind her fingers.  
“It’s not what it looks like” Pietro explained, but Clint had already walked out of the door.  
“Where the hell is my bloody bow?!” her brother shouted.  
“Whoa, silver boy, you have a problem.” Tony patted his shoulder.  
Suddenly, they heard a loud crash.  
“A big one” he added.  
“Run” (y/n) told to Pietro, who left the room leaving a gust of wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next chapter will be out on Friday 22th. I know, it's a lot of time, but this is my worst week at college, full of exams, so I barely have time to write...  
> But next chapter will be about the avengers in Sokovia.... You know what that means, right?  
> Get prepared for the unexpected...
> 
> Comments are better than cuddling with Pietro.
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Love,  
> Alice


	5. Get prepared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So here is the following chapter!^^  
> It was actually a bit long, so I divided it in two chapters (like the previous one)  
> Enjoy!

“Pietro?” Wanda knocked at the door.  
She knew Pietro was inside. He had just entered in the room a few moments ago. He was escaping from Clint, who was searching for him all over the building, murmuring “I just want to talk”. Although the bow and the electric arrow he carried didn’t contribute to the truthfulness of his words.  
Wanda entered the room and closed the door.  
Pietro was laying on his bed, absently staring at the ceiling, preserving only a sliver of attention on a long, (h/c) hair that twirled between his fingers. Looking at his facial expression, it was hard to tell where his mind was at, and she didn’t want to enter in it without his permission. In that moment he could be leading an army, sailing the seas… Or perhaps he wasn’t thinking at all, but instead simply taken by the endless white ceiling above his head, flawed only by a dim lightbulb.  
But Wanda knew her brother, and she didn’t need to read his mind in order to know what his thoughts were.  
“What do you want?” he murmured.  
“Captain Rogers wants to talk to all of us in ten minutes. He said it was really important”  
“So you read his mind, didn’t you?” Pietro muttered.  
“We’re going to Sokovia to fight Ultron” she answered.  
Pietro nodded absently, getting lost in his thoughts again.  
“So…” said Wanda, trying to keep a straight face, “Clint asked me just a moment ago if I had seen you. Making new friends, eh?” she chuckled.  
Pietro turned his head to the side to avert her gaze, but the sudden rosiness of his cheeks gave him away.  
“Don’t do that” he growled, closing his eyes tightly.  
“Do what?” Wanda asked with a teasing smile.  
“Don’t drop hints. I won’t tell you anything” he grunted.  
“Such a pity… Thanks god I read Clint’s mind before he continued his hunt” said Wanda cheekily, “I knew you were a quick guy… but getting on top of a girl on the floor in front of her brother while you undress her with your eyes is being way too quick…” she explained, trying not to laugh.  
Pietro’s eyes squinted fiercely, while the rosiness of his cheeks became more intense.  
“It’s not like that” he blurted.  
“Yeeeah… for sur-”, but, before Wanda could end the sentence, Pietro’s fluffy pillow impacted directly on her head. Pietro was now sitting on his bed, his arms crossed on his chest.  
Wanda broke out in laughter by her brother’s reaction. Her stomach was aching from laughing.  
“I’ll see you in five minutes” she said, heading towards the door.  
Suddenly, she remembered something. She turned slowly to face Pietro, with a serious look in her face.  
“By the way, don’t forget that when everything is over and Ultron is defeated we’re going away” she said in a low voice.  
Before joining the avengers, they both decided that they would stay with them as long as they needed to in order to defeat Ultron. But, as soon as that happened, they would move away. Neither of them wanted to stay in the same place where the man who destroyed their childhood, Stark, lived. Teaming up with them didn’t mean forgetting their past... They would be allies until the mayor danger that brought them together disappeared.  
“Don’t get too close to them…” Wanda didn’t want Pietro to build castles in the air. It would hurt him…  
She went out of his room, closing the door.  
“Too late” Pietro whispered.  
________________________  
Steve’s look hovered over his teammates.  
“We’re going to Sokovia”, he said in a clear but strict voice, “Clint detected Natasha’s signals over there and we’ve discovered some suspicious activity going on in that place”, he paused. His brows lowered. That expression on Steve’s face always meant one single thing: concern.  
“We’re almost sure that Ultron is in Sokovia, so this may be our last fight against him”. Everybody remained silent, while his word’s deepened in their minds.  
“And it’ll be his last fight against us. He won’t want another round after it!” Tony joked, easing the tension in the room.  
Steve chuckled. “Get prepared. We’re leaving in three hours. We’ll discuss our tactics at the quinjet” he answered.  
Everybody began to exit the room.  
Steve approached Wanda and Pietro, who were standing next to (y/n), talking to her.  
During the reunion, Steve had noticed some interesting things, like Pietro’s peeks at (y/n), or the hostile glare of Clint whenever he caught Pietro looking at her sister. Something had happened between the three of them, but he would find it out later.  
The Captain had also noticed Wanda’s stare at Vision. She seemed to be studying him, with a mix of fascination and confusion in her semblance, while the face of the android didn’t show any emotion but concentration on his speech.  
“Pietro, Wanda” he said to catch the twins’ attention, “I know you don’t have any special armours or weapons, so feel free to take whatever you need from the Avenger’s training room”  
Pietro and Wanda nodded. Then, Steve turned to face (y/n).  
“Will you show them the training room and our weapons, (y/n)?” he asked.  
“Aye, aye, Captain!” she answered solemnly.  
Steve chortled.  
Pietro’s mouth twitched, and (y/n) was pretty sure he was fighting a smile  
_____________  
“So here we have the knives, grenades, axes and guns” she pointed at each weapon as she enumerated them. “The armours and clothes are in the left closet.”  
Pietro went to the closet that (y/n) had just signalled, opening it and having a look at the clothes.  
“Wanda, if you need something else, you can borrow it from my wardrobe” she smiled at the Maximoff girl.  
“Thanks, (y/n)” Wanda replied.  
Pietro and Wanda had spent one hour with (y/n), who had showed them the training room and the different items in it. And that one hour had been enough for Wanda to understand his brother’s feelings.  
(Y/n) had the most wonderful (e/c) eyes. She sometimes smiled with her lips, but it was her eyes that shone instead, and it was their radiance that made every man and woman who saw them to feel the irresistible impulse to smile. (Y/n)’s eyes contained the most sincere and pure emotion.  
Her happiness was infectious. It started as a tingle in Wanda’s fingers and toes, much like the feeling somebody has when they are anxious, but instead of worrisome it’s warm. Wanda felt (y/n)’s happiness pass through her like a warm ocean wave, washing away the stress of her day to leave her refreshed inside.  
And Wanda knew that Pietro felt the same way. She had observed him during that hour with (y/n). He had been the whole hour gazing intensely at her, lost in his thoughts. He could barely utter one or two words unless it was a cocky remark which caused (y/n) to roll her eyes, with a smile in her radiant face.  
“How can he be so bad at flirting? Oh god…” Wanda thought.  
She read Pietro’s mind twice. She tried not to, but her curiosity was peaked. Besides, he wouldn’t noticed it, and she wouldn’t say a word about it.  
The first time she heard his thoughts, they all hovered around the young avenger: her smile, her eyes, her happiness, her warmth...  
Pietro was absorbed in (y/n). The way she smiled, the way butterflies seemed to escape from the pit of his stomach and the way the sun somehow toppled down from the sky and made a home right in his heart.  
Wanda tried to keep a straight face. She didn’t know her brother could be so cheesy.  
The second time she tried to reach his mind, (y/n) was walking in front of them. Pietro was observing her body, the way she moved, her curves offering a lot of interesting angles…

She rolled her eyes and looked at Pietro, whose look was still fixed in the young avenger.  
Wanda stopped reading his mind. She didn’t want hear his thoughts, just in case they became more private.  
“Alright”, said (y/n), making Wanda to come back from her thoughts. “If you need something I’ll be in my room”.  
(Y/n) was about to head to the door when her eyes met Pietro’s.  
She sucked in a sharp breath as his shirtless torso was exposed to her. Gawking wouldn’t describe her state. She was stunned and mesmerized by his physique. He had a chiselled chest and the skin on it was glowing healthily. His abdominals were sculptured to perfection. His shoulders… round and protruding, gave his whole look a new flavour. It was something she had never seen before…  
In his arrogant triumph, Pietro smirked, just a small pouting of the lips, a narrowing of the eyes and a tilting of the head. It was so subtle, it was even more infuriating for (y/n), who caught a glimpse of it after making the foolish mistake of staring at his god-like body.  
“The shirts are on the back. Get one before you get a cold” (y/n) replied as she headed to the door.  
Wanda turned back to see Pietro’s shirtless torso.  
“Oh god, Pietro. As soon as we finish this mission I’m giving you classes on how to flirt. You’re such a cocky empty-headed!”  
“Am I not doing it okay?” Pietro grinned.  
Wanda placed her hand flat across her face.  
He had no idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next chapter will be about Sokovia!  
> It'll be out in one or two days.  
> Warning: it'll be an intense chapter...
> 
> Comments are better than dreaming about Pietro.
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Love, Alice Maximoff


	6. Sokovia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: THIS IS IMPORTANT! Please read the whole chapter, until the end.  
> Unexpected things could happen during this intense chapter.  
> Enjoy!

Clint reached Pietro as he walked towards the quinjet. He felt Clint’s hand in his shoulder.  
“Pietro” he said in a neutral voice.  
Inhaling a deep breath, he turned around to face Clint. Pietro knew what was coming next, although the knowing doesn’t soften the blow.  
He expected an electric arrow in Clint’s bow pointing at his chest, but instead, he couldn’t help but surprise when he saw Clint's hands weren't holding any bow, and his eyes brighted with worriment.  
“Don’t hurt her. She’s a wonderful person and deserves to be happy after all she’s been through.” Clint whispered softly.  
Pietro nodded, with an understanding expression, although he was confused. “After all she’s been through…”.What could that mean?  
“I have no intention of hurting her” he replied carefully.  
“Sometimes we hurt the ones we love the most” Clint replied.  
After that sentence, Pietro was even more disconcerted, but Clint turned around, finishing their conversation.  
“And about the "thing" that happened at the kitchen… you better don’t do that again. If you do so, there’ll be a bunch of electric arrows with your name written on them” Clint said as he walked towards the quinjet.  
“And I’ll dye your silver hair green”, he added.  
Pietro gulped. Clint wasn’t joking.  
________  
(Y/n) entered the quinjet. Everyone was already inside with their armours and weapons: Tony, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Clint, Vision, Pietro (who looked quite attractive with his new and tight clothes), Wanda and…  
“Hey Sam! Rhodey! Long time no see” (y/n) run towards the two new recruits. She first hugged Rhodey, and then Sam, who embraced her warmly.  
“Don’t tell me “long time no see” when it’s you the one who has not visited me for this months” Sam laughed.  
(Y/n) smiled. She had a very good relationship with Rhodey and Sam. Especially with Sam. They had known each other for a long time and Sam was for (y/n) like an old brother she loved teasing, as (y/n) was for Sam like a young and sweet sister he had to take care of.  
But, if (Y/n) had been paying attention, she would have realised of Pietro’s eyes fixed in them and their embrace. His hands clenched as his knuckles became white.  
Wanda took one of his hands, pressing it tenderly.  
“Relax, Pietro, they are just friends” she whispered.  
Her brother’s only reply was a soft growl.  
In that moment, Steve cleared his throat to get the avenger’s attention.  
“As soon as we arrive to Sokovia, our first priority is to get the citizens to a safe place. If there wasn’t a safe place in the surroundings, we will get them in our helicarriers.”  
Everyone nodded.  
Then, with a smile in his face, he stated:  
“If they hurt you, you hurt them. If they kill you, WALK IT OFF!”  
___________  
The army moved as one, a sea of grey metal, as if there were all synchronised in the same frequency. Their right alloy legs moved in unison. Then the left legs. With each step the sound of gears on the cold tarmac was like the warning thunder of a coming storm.  
The gunshots resounded in the still air as Ultron’s army approached. The noise reverberated in the ears and rang out far over the hills.  
Their faces were fierce against the frigid wind.  
The fight was about to begin.  
__________  
The clangor of the metal, gunshots and battle cries filled the city. The pale bleak sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains strucked sheens of silver from scattered robots and broken engines  
There were no holds barred when (y/n) went in for attack. She pulled out her knives, throwing them in handfuls, propelled by energy blasts. Her fists impacted on the robot’s carcass and were aimed to their weak points and wires. She run all over the place, knocking down enemies. If they got too close, she would release her energy, and the robots would jolt, their artificial eyes switching off as they fall down to the floor. But she only did that whenever she was trapped between hordes of robots. She could not use her energy blasts continually, as she used her own energy to produce them.  
Meanwhile, she kept paying attention to her communication device, just in case someone got in trouble and needed help.  
She trew a knive to the last robot of the horde that had attacked them. The knive cut his wires and the metal soldier collapsed.  
“(Y/n)” someone said next to her.  
She turned and saw Pietro, next to her, looking worried.  
“Is Wanda alright?” she asked, afraid that Pietro’s expression was due to that.  
“She’s okay. She has volunteered to stay with the detonator to keep it safe until everyone is able to get out of the city” he didn’t seem to be at ease with her decision, but he had respected it.  
The citizens of the town had all been loaded into hovercrafts and transported to the helicarrier and most of Ultron’s army had been reduced to rubble.  
“Alright. I’ll stay here, just in case there’s some robot left. I’ll join you later”, (y/n) said.  
“I’m not going to leave you here. I already had to leave Wanda and I’m not about to leave you too”, he stated stubbornly as one of his arms surrounded her hip, ready to sped off with her.  
The both stared at each other intensely.  
"When we get back home, I'll kiss her and hug her" Pietro thought.  
"When we get back home, I'll kiss him and embrace him" (y/n) wondered as she looked into his blue electric eyes.

But suddenly, two things happened. And that two things would seal their fate.  
Rounding the corner of a building they both saw Clint, who was running towards a small boy trapped under rubble of a collapsed building.  
Then, an aircraft rounded the corner of a building farther down the street and started firing bullets at everything.  
But the bullet’s trajectory was far away from (y/n) and Pietro.  
They were aimed towards Clint.  
“CLINT!” (y/n) shouted.  
Clint was rescuing the little child and the aircraft was getting closer.  
He had no chance to get out of that situation alive.  
Unless…  
Pietro ran towards Clint as fast as he could, but the bullets where getting even closer.  
He analysed the situation as he approached. He wouldn’t have enough time to get the two of them out.  
There was no time.  
And Pietro knew what he had to do.  
When he arrived to the place where Clint and the little boy were, he wrapped his arms around them, knowing he would take the impact of the bullets.  
A single memory went through Pietro’s mind: (y/n) laying on the floor, under Wanda’s mind control, screaming and crying at the vision of his dead brother. Clint telling him that (y/n) deserved to be happy...  
She deserved better. She didn't deserve to see her brother dying again...  
And he wanted the best for her.  
If Pietro didn’t do that, (y/n) would suffer.  
After all the mistakes he had done, he would finally do something right: he would save a life and give it to (y/n), so that she could get on with her life happily.  
(Y/n)… He would miss her smile. Her fragrance, her fierce look…

His pain came like a sudden squall out at sea. Bullets from the ragged black aircraft came pounding down with absolute brutality.  
The initial pain that burnt like a fire faded away to an icy numbness. Black filled the edges of his vision and the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat. And a scream. He could hear a scream of a (h/c) who came in his direction.  
Pietro’s breath came in ragged, shallow gasps.  
His legs trembled as he felt to the floor.

Seconds passed as he laid there. He heard voices. People swarmed all over him, trying to help him. Surely they could tell that it was far too late for him to be saved, yet they were like children, naïve to the darkness of the real world.  
“Don’t leave me, Pietro. CLINT HELP ME! PLEASE!” he heard an anxious cry.  
(Y/n).  
She was safe.  
He would be joining his mother soon, and he would be able to leave all the pain behind, although he would have to leave behind the only lights of his life: Wanda and (y/n).  
But they were safe.  
He closed his eyes, the acknowledge of that thought gave him a last bit of happiness before he could finally leave everything.  
________________  
The blood was slowly oozing out of numerous wounds in his chest, a small but relentless flow of crimson.  
His eyes that once danced with light and electricity were vacant and staring. His once rosy complexion was now waxy and pale. The mouth that was so quick to smile in life remained stiff and agape. The lips (y/n) had wanted to kiss so badly were cold. The arms she had always dreamt that held her tight at night when she was sad or lost, that wrapped her in warmth and security were like the limbs of a rag doll violently thrown. The legs that used to run everywhere at amazing speed were now immobile.  
A red pool under his chest, matting his silver and blue shirt.  
“Don’t leave me Pietro” (y/n) shouted.  
The sound that escaped her mouth set to a frequency that would shatter anyone’s heart to pieces again and again and again…  
Clint approached them.  
(Y/n)’s eyes were frozen like the surface of a winter puddle, lacking of their usual warmth. She was somewhere in there, but her semblance was just as if somebody had taken away a huge part of her soul.  
Clint was still processing what had just happened.  
He wanted tell his sister that Pietro would survive. Clint wanted to rekindle her heart but her insides were already too damp with uncried tears.  
His own tears began to stream down his face.  
“I already miss this little bastard” he thought.  
__________  
There has always been a special connection between twins, since the day they are born.  
If you are a twin you watch yourself live two lifes: yours and his. It’s a special connection between two souls. And, even time speeds fast, scattering like shrapnel, and is quiet as cobwebs that connection remains.  
Whatever happened to the other, they would both feel it.  
And Wanda did.  
The sudden emptiness in her heart, the numbness pounding her brain, the shear nothingness that now took hold of her soul threatened to engulf her entirely. Her legs knuckled, knees sinking into the sodden earth.  
They had tore apart a half of her soul.  
No words can explain that.  
_________  
Clint carried Pietro’s body to one of the helicarriers. Steve walked next to him, with (y/n) in his arms, looking at the sky, salty tears flowing unchecked from her eyes.  
They had already carried the little boy with her mother.  
They both left Pietro and (y/n) in the helicarrier, lying down next to each other on the floor.  
Clint approached (y/n). It was painful to see her sister in that trance of grief, barely able to speak or to think.  
“Steve and I will come back in a moment. Stay were you are.” He left a soft kiss on (y/n)’s forehead as he run with Steve towards the buildings.  
(y/n) had been waiting for that moment. As soon as Clint and Steve left, she stood up, placing her hands over Pietro’s chest.  
She knew that Clint wouldn’t approve it and she knew the reason. The last time she tried to heal a bullet wound with her powers she had to stay on bed for two days until she could get back the sensibility on her legs and arms.  
And Pietro had several bullet wounds.  
She looked at his lifeless face.  
Were they ever strangers? She wasn’t sure. The day she first saw him there was something even then, though she didn’t know what.  
She sometimes wondered if there was an element of time that allowed people to feel a strong love, like an orange glow bursting over the dark horizon. It was the light of his eyes. Something that carried her through life.  
In that moment she knew that she would give up on anything for him. Knowing him had been like being let in the warmth after a lifetime of winter. She could never wish to go back to even that day before.  
She would give up anything for him.  
“It isn’t too late. I can save him”, she murmured.  
She tried to leave aside her pain and grief in order to focus on Pietro’s wounds.  
The sudden pain from his injuries commanded her attention. It didn’t sit quietly in the background like garish paper, it cowed her brain demanding a solution.  
Could she provide it?  
Searing fiery bursts pulsated around his wounds, intensifying with each dragging second she spent focusing on them, jarring and brutal.  
But, between all that pain, she felt it. She felt life. She felt the struggle. She concentrated on that group of cells, anxious to continue living and began to give them her energy, which flowed from her legs, through her torso and to her hands.  
She let glitter clouds come out them.  
The cells took advantage of that opportunity and began to regenerate. They kept pushing the bullets out as they began growing. It was a beautiful feeling.  
But.  
She knew it was coming and her muscles suddenly tensed as much as they could.  
The knowing doesn’t soften the blow.  
She felt everything in his body coming back from an untold number of fragments to one, as her own body fragmented to give every inch of the energy it contained.  
She tried to take her own pain far away, deep inside herself to some primitive places that knew how to cope with that kind of pain that precedes death.  
Then, she felt her last drain of energy came out of her. She looked at Pietro with a smile, and with her last energy left she uttered:  
“Didn’t you see that com-?”  
(Y/n) collapsed onto his chest. Her body couldn’t sustain her anymore and her mind became numb and black as her heart began to beat more slowly.  
She heard voices. People swarmed all over her, trying to help her.  
She heard Pietro’s voice.  
He was safe.  
Pietro was alive  
Black mists swirled at the edges of her mind, drawing her into sweet oblivion.

She could die happily now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next chapter (YES, there's going to be another chapter!) will take me a bit.  
> I hope you liked this chapter.  
> Writing it hit me in the feels.
> 
> Comments are better than kissing Pietro.
> 
> Stay tuned!  
> Love, Alice Maximoff


	7. You have to wake up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: THIS IS IMPORTANT! Please read the whole chapter, until the end.  
> Unexpected things could happen... Enjoy!

He opened his eyes. The canvas of bright colours stretched over his head, gloriously brilliant in the dipping sun. His heart, caged like a bird in his chest, thrummed with a strange sort of feeling as he saw the young avenger, asleep on his chest.  
His aesthetic senses came alive; he was struck by her beauty and her body, which was so close to his. The combination of shapes and colours were pleasing to his eyes as he read her semblance. Such beauty and poetry defined in endless lines of his thoughts, an expression of what his voice never revealed...  
He approached his hand slowly to her cheek, afraid that she would wake up and that moment would end.  
But, when his hand touched her skin, he frozed.  
Cold licked at her face and crept under her clothes, spreading across her skin like the lacy tide on a frigid winter beach.

That was the moment when everything that had happened just some moments ago rushed into his mind like a gale out of control. He realised that his chest had some crimson stains and marks, but all the wounds from the bullets that had sank in his skin were healed.  
And everything in his mind was put in place, like the pieces of a puzzle.  
A puzzle he wished he had never resolved.  
She had given him her energy. She had saved him. She had sacrificed for him.  
He changed positions quickly, leaving (y/n) softly on the floor. He felt pain from the wounds on his chest, but that wasn't important anymore.  
The desolation he felt when he looked at her semblance was consuming. His mind became an icy wasteland, the wind howled in his soul and wrapped icy tentacles around his heart so tightly it almost stopped beating.  
“(Y/N)!!” His scream tore through him like a great shard of glass. It was desperate, painful… human.  
“NO! NO! NO!” Her light was extinguishing, and she was taking everything in his inside with her.  
That was not supposed to happen.  
She had to live.  
She had to be happy.  
He was the one who had to die.  
He tried to find pulse in her neck, but his hands were trembling uncontrollably.  
“Don’t leave me!” he whispered, cupping her face in his hands.  
His mind screamed out as the pain drove through his soul. His thoughts became blurred as the burning pain licked up his heart like scorching fire.

Steve and the team would never forget the heart-breaking scene they saw when they arrived.  
“(Y/N)!!!” Clint cried as he run towards her.  
Everyone was shocked. Everything became a mess of shouts, tears and orders as they all tried to move (y/n) to the quinjet, where they would help her.  
But Pietro refused to let her go.  
Steve got him by his arms, forcing him to stand up. He looked at Pietro. His semblance reflected pain. A heartache like if a red hot coal had been placed in his chest, glowing and burning him at the same time, but not cooling quickly like a coal in water. It throbbed and tortured him as there was no relief to be found.  
A single tear slid down from Steve’s warm and butterscotch eyes, followed by another one, and another one, flowing their way down his pale cheek.  
“Pietro”, he said firmly, “we need you here. If we can do something for (y/n) we need you here to help us. Understood?”  
Pietro nodded.  
“Steve, I lov-“his voice broke.  
“I know” said Steve, comprehension shining in his blue eyes. Blue and sad eyes who had already seen to many deaths and lost loves as to bear with another one.  
_____________  
Wanda, Vision, Tony and Thor were already in the quintet before the rest of the team arrived. They had managed to destroy the vibranium’s city core as it fell to the sea, far down where the sunlight was a soft and diffuse glow, transforming the big and violent rocks into no more than sinking silhouettes.  
They waited for the other avengers, but, when they finally arrived and entered the quinjet with sadness reflected in their faces, the four of them knew that something had gone wrong.  
And when Wanda read their minds, knowing what she would see, she couldn’t help but to let a painful scream.  
Pietro was alive, but (y/n) wasn’t. She had given her live for him, for his brother.  
His brother was alive.  
In that moment, Wanda tried to set aside all the feelings that threatened to break her into pieces in order to help the avengers with (y/n).  
They placed (y/n) in a stretcher while Tony and Bruce began to get out electronic devices and items to make her survive.  
Natasha was hugging Clint tightly. He cried uncontrollably, his hands opening and closing, rhythmically clenching as if there could be some violent solution to his pain if he could find it. He tried to move next to his sister, but Natasha hold him prisoner. He couldn’t help Tony or Bruce. He didn’t know what to do and he had to let others do it.  
Wanda turned around and saw Pietro, who had just arrived, going to a corner of the quinjet. He bent down, wrapping his arms around his legs and a sweater, hugging them violently. He was in total shock.  
Wanda run to him, hugging him tightly. She thought that she would never be able to hug him again.  
But he was stiff. She noticed that the sweater he was holding was (y/n)’s.  
Wanda’s left hand rose to stroke his back, to caress the brother she thought that would be dead.  
Tears streamed down her face.  
Then, Pietro began to cry softly, wetting the sweater. He was young, but he cried like an old man beaten down with sorrow.  
He had a hole in his heart, and it had the shape of the girl he had lost.  
___________  
“Hey, sleeping beauty. I miss you. We all miss you so much. You have to wake up. I know you’re a fighter. I’ve trained you. You can do this, (y/n). You have to… And we still have to catch up with Harry Potter films. Remember your promise...?  
Don’t leave us… I wouldn’t be able to bear losing you.”  
….  
“(Y/n), we will find a solution. Banner and I are on the lab all day. We will come up with a solution. I promise. Just stay alive, okay? We will find a solution, and when you wake up I’ll give a party on your honour. The biggest party you can imagine. You’ve always told me you liked my parties, remember?…  
Please… I miss you…”  
….  
“Lady (y/n)… You did something heroic. I wish you were here with us. The Man of iron and Banner are closed in the room with strange items all day long. The others are trying to find other solutions. I don’t know how to help, so I pray to Asgard’s old gods for you every day.”  
….  
“(Y/n)… you have to fight. To wake up. You can do that and more. You know… I usually don’t get too close with people, maybe because of my past, my training in Russia… But I’ve grown to love you as the sister I never had. I miss you so much. We all do.  
I still have to show you a lot of fighting techniques and you still have to tell me so many things about your life, about your young loves, your thoughts, your happiness…”  
….  
“I was born just a few days ago and I’ve only known you for a little time. But inside you there was pureness... Don’t let it die and come back with us…”  
….  
“Auntie (y/n), we’ve brought the little sparrow you healed. All of us and the bird want you to wake up.”  
“You’ve always been our favourite aunt, but don’t tell that to auntie Nat.”  
“We love you, auntie”  
….  
“Don’t leave, (y/n)... I can’t let go of my sister…”  
….  
“You saved my brother. He was about to die and you gave him your life. I… I’m not good at words and I would never be able to thank you enough for what you did...You have to come back.  
You know… I liked you from the beginning. I perfectly understand the way my brother feels towards you. He’s been really bad since you… The guilt is ice in his guts. It could be a hundred degrees out and he would still be frozen inside. I’ve tried to melt it, but he needs you. He needs you, your warmth. He needs you to show him what is worth living for…  
Please come back. You have to wake up.”  
….  
“You were the one who was supposed to live. Not me. Why did you do that?  
Why?  
I’ll never be able to deserve you…  
Did you know that when we met I had already lost my entire world? Only Wanda remained. I hang on her love and protected her. Any other thing was an abyss. How could I pour love into an abyss?  
But then you appeared. There was something in your (e/c) eyes that was so beautiful, so safe and warm. In just one look I was “home”. “Home”… it sounds so strange, but you made me remember its meaning.  
Remember the day we talked in the kitchen…? I still recall the conversation and the feeling you gave me. Your kindness, how you saw the good things in me… You didn’t know, but that day you saved me. I found a reason for me. And you were the reason…  
Don’t go somewhere I can’t follow you. I could never let you go.”  
____________  
All the avenger where in the room when Helen Cho and the Asgard healer entered.  
Helen Cho spoke:  
“As you all know, (Y/n) has the capacity of transmitting her own energy to others. When she saved Pietro, she gave almost all her energy. Almost. That means that there’s still a little bit of energy left in her. But it’s so little, that her cells can’t do anything but trying to survive with it. They just work for themselves. That’s why she can’t move, think, talk, eat or breathe. That will suppose a great amount of energy that her cells do not have. That’s why we have her connected to machines that are doing that for her.  
We’ve tried to get energy inside her body. Adrenaline and many other things that we tried didn’t work well because her cells wouldn’t get them or process them. They can only survive and maintain themselves. They cannot bear to use their little energy to process strange substances.  
We need to get energy directly into her, inside her cells...  
But we have not still found a way to do that…”  
Her words resounded on the room and on everybody’s minds, their meaning sinking deep in their souls.  
“My hammer made Vision come alive. We could do the same with lady (y/n)!” said Thor, unable to accept the unfair fate of the young avenger.  
“Vision is not human, and (y/n)’s body wouldn’t resist so much energy. It would kill her” Helen Cho whispered. She wanted (y/n) to live, but the possibilities were remote, and she couldn’t play with the avenger’s hope.  
“And the cradle?” suggested Natasha.  
“It only generates tissue, not energy”, Cho replied  
“I’ll find a solution” said Tony running to his lab, with Banner following him.  
Helen Cho sighed. Electricity was not the solution, and Stark and Banner could not create the resource of pure energy that (y/n) needed.  
“If we don’t find a solution, the little energy that her cells have… will be gone by tomorrow” Cho stated softly.  
The avengers who remained on the room were buried in a darkness which seemed to oppress them like an awful weight. What could they do?  
Pietro left in a gust of wind.  
Wanda’s first impetus was to follow his brother. But she didn’t.  
Pietro needed some time alone.  
And she had a plan.  
It was an extreme plan and she had not wanted to apply it until it was too late.  
Now, she only had one day left.  
____________  
Pietro entered in his room. He beat the heavy door with his hands until his knuckles streamed blood.  
“NO, NO, NO”  
He shouted and screamed until he sank exhausted to the floor.  
____________  
Wanda didn’t left her room until the twilight faded to unfathomable blackness. The tick of the clock lighted a fire inside her guts.  
She looked through the window. The stars were somewhere behind the haze of black clouds that stretched thinly above, and the transitory moonlight bleached the grey-scale world momentarily.  
Her mind was a blur with possibilities, each more improbable than the next.  
But it was the only option left.  
She headed outside her room towards the hospital wing.  
No one was in sight. Wanda sighed in relief. No one would have let her do what she was thinking of, but she couldn't stay idle, seeing the young avenger dying.  
When she entered in (y/n)’s room she saw Clint seated next to her, asleep on the chair. Some reddish flames reached his forehead, as he slumbered in a deeper dream.  
Wanda approached the stretcher where (y/n) was laying. It was painful to see her surrounded by so many artefacts, helping her to survive. Helping the energetic girl who radiated a happiness that made everybody smile. Now, she was immobile, her skin extremely pale under the moonlight, her bright eyes closed.  
Wanda got prepared.  
Her hands hovered above her head while reddish energy flames came out from her hands to her body.  
Helen Cho had said that (y/n) needed energy. Wanda could produce energy, but she was not able to control the amount. The avengers had contemplated that possibility, but refused when they saw her breaking a small cube to pieces with her energy. The result would be the same as if they used Thor’s hammer.  
“It will take you a lot of time to control your energy flow” said Steve.  
But she had been stubbornly training since the very first day.  
Everytime she felt fatigue, she set that feeling aside as memories of her brother, smiling happily as he talked to (y/n), came into her mind.  
Each day, she would grab some mannequins from the training room.  
The first twenty-two had exploded.  
The next eleven had got burnt.  
Only two of them ended all right.  
Wanda had gradually realised that the amount of energy she transmitted depended on her emotions rather than on her conscience. When she tried to dim her emotions, she only burnt the mannequins instead of breaking them to pieces.  
In that moment, she was trying to reproduce the same feeling she had with that two mannequins that ended alright, but her anxiousness and fear couldn’t let her feel it properly.  
She tried to remain calm as her hands reached the young avengers toes.  
Wanda opened her eyes, trembling.   
Her eyes inspected (y/n)’s body. Everything was fine, but her eyes still remained closed.  
Wanda thought about Pietro, and his pain during all these days.  
Maybe she hadn't transmitted her enough energy? It was difficult to calculate it. (Y/n) was not the same as a mannequin.  
But maybe if she did it again…  
Reddish flames emanated again from her hands, travelling along her body.  
Her hands hadn’t reached the young avenger’s neck, when suddenly, two strong arms pushed her violently against the wall, leaving her out of breath for a moment.  
She looked up to him. There were no tears in his eyes, no track marks on his reddening face. His eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold and hard.  
Wanda realised that he was already too far away, sank in anger, to respond for his actions.  
_________  
Pietro stepped outside the Avenger’s tower. He felt an emptiness in his heart, a shear of nothingness that hold in his soul and threatened to kill him entirely.  
He needed some time alone. He had to get out of that place. He could not bear to see (y/n) dying.  
He had left a letter to her sister, who hadn’t talked to him much during the last few days. She had been locked in her room, not letting anyone enter.  
He would come to take Wanda in a few days. But, in that moment, he just needed to get far away from that place. Alone.  
He sighed as he prepared to speed off.  
__________  
She opened her eyes. If someone had been looking, they would have noticed that they were red, like flames fanned by the breeze, flashing their brilliant reds to the sun, burning up the afternoon in their radiant glow. But it was just for a moment. Then they turned to their natural colour.

She sucked a deep, choking breath.  
She felt flames inside her body, sinking in every single cell, giving them a new and renewed energy.

 

(Y/n) felt alive.  
___________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So.... Did you like the chapter??  
> Next one will take me a bit, but it'll be a sweet chapter^^  
> By the way... did you notice what Tony said to (y/n)? (YAY!)
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro's smirk.  
> Stay tuned!  
> Love,   
>  Alice Maximoff


	8. Finally at home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part.  
> Enjoy!!

Not a single person in the Avenger’s tower could sleep that night, and Bruce Banner was not an exception.  
He had been awake a long time in the dark, for several hours, thinking and not thinking, in that barren state which is not sleep, nor yet full wakefulness, and which is a painful strain.  
He finally decided that maybe some fresh air could help him. He got up and wandered around the tower, lost in his thoughts.  
Bruce was not prepared to let go of (y/n). There was not a single day he hadn’t missed her since Sokovia. Her laughing, which was like ripples in a still pond after a stone has been thrown in, had left an oppressive emptiness. Her happiness, which was so contagious, had left a dull and colourless sight.  
He couldn’t help but feel useless. He had spent entire days in the lab with Tony, hardly resting, trying to find a solution. Trying to save her. But they end up with nothing. He felt a sense of unease that some times would rise to a crescendo, as pain and anger burst from his chest in a vicious shout of sadness.

Banner suddenly realised that he was standing in front of the door where (y/n) was. His subconscious and his steps had taken him there.  
With a sigh, he entered the room. He was not prepared for a goodbye, but he couldn’t let go of the young avenger without telling her how much she meant for him, how much he cared for her…

But the scene he had expected to see when he opened the door was much more different than what he actually saw.

The moonlight splashed down it’s watery white-silver glow onto the room, bathing and illuminating it. And, in the middle of everything was the Maximoff girl, hovering her hands along (y/n)’s body, as reddish flames flickered and danced from her hands until they disappeared inside the avenger’s body.  
Next to the stretcher was Clint, deeply asleep, oblivious to what was happening next to him.

A sudden and burning rage hissed through his body like deathly poison.  
What in hell was she thinking of? They had already agreed that her power couldn’t be used to give (y/n) energy because it would kill her! What was she trying to do? Shortening her life, as if she already had enough?!

Bruce felt how the anguish he had tried to lock up inside him during that days became free. It screeched a demanded release in the form of unwanted violence. It was like a volcano erupting, fury sweeping off him like ferocious waves.  
In no more than one blink he had pushed Wanda away form (y/n).  
She hit violently the wall.  
The eyes that observed the Scarlet Witch were now narrowed, rigid, cold and hard.  
The wrath consumed Banner, engulfing his moralities and destroying the boundaries of rational thought.  
He was already too far away, sank in anger.

Bruce Banner was no more responsible of his actions.  
___________  
Pietro sighed as he prepared to speed off, but a sudden voice stopped him.  
“Where are you going, Pietro?”  
The silver haired boy turned around and saw Steve, standing stiff and with a serious look in his eyes.  
“Away” he replied curtly.  
Steve’s semblance reflected sadness, like a flowing river, cold and unending, but it was soon replaced by fires of fury, smouldering in his small narrowed eyes.  
“So… you’re going to give up in the last moment?” he asked hurtfully.  
Pietro remained silent, his semblance impassible.  
“Coward” Steve hissed.  
Pietro couldn’t stand it anymore. His fists clenched as his staring eyes hardened. In just one second, he slammed his fist down onto Steve’s jaw, shouting venomously, letting his torrent of rage storm off with endless fury.  
He then distanced rapidly from the Captain, getting ready for the counterattack. His face was still contorted with the venomous outburst, brewing anger like tea in a pot or like a storm out at sea.  
Steve had seen him coming, but didn’t move. When he received Pietro’s punch, he tried to remain still and impassible, his look still fixed in his.  
“I’m not a coward”, Pietro said, turning his back to the Captain as he prepared to speed off.  
But Steve’s voice stopped him, again.  
“You love her. You have known each other for a short time, and you have already fallen for her. Your feelings are strong and the connection is solid and warm. And you are afraid because no one has ever made you feel that way and now you feel an unbearable pain.  
To feel that emotions doesn’t mean you are coward. But not facing that feelings because they scare you is being a coward” Steve said angrily.  
Pietro’s body became stiff.  
“You would never understand it” he whispered hurtfully to the Captain, “You don’t know how it feels when a part of your soul has been torn away.”  
“I do” Steve replied sadly, trying to block memories that threatened to transform into tears.  
Pietro turned around slowly, facing him.  
“I would never be able to deserve her, to deserve the life I have been given” his voice broke and his eyes became bleary.  
“If she gave you that, it was because she thought you deserved it” Steve replied in a soft voice.  
Tears raced down Pietro’s cheeks.  
He opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off by a giant and violent roar.  
Steve and Pietro looked at each other.  
That roar could only come from…  
____________  
Wanda looked at Hulk with terrified eyes.  
Her teeth were chattering due to her quivering jaw, which finally dropped so as to breathe in more oxygen in preparation for what was to come.  
The green giant approached her with a ferocious look in his semblance.  
Wanda tried to accumulate her energy down in her hands, but she knew it was useless. It would just give her two more seconds before being crashed by the enraged creature in front of her. She thought about mind control, but that would only make him more furious, and she was not the only person in that room.  
She breathed deeply and closed her eyes as she prepared for what was about to come. Her heart was racing and all she wanted was to curl up into a ball and dream she was not in that situation, or that, maybe, someone would stop the creature standing in front of her.  
But that was not going to happen.  
Darkness washed over her, sending chills down his spine. Chills of fear and regret.  
Regret for not having been able to save the young avenger…

“Hey, big guy, the sun is getting really low” a sweet voice said.  
Wanda opened her eyes.  
Hulk was not facing her anymore. He was looking mesmerized at the young girl standing in front of him.  
Her silky (h/c) hair swam down her back like silver waves. It gave her a wild look, like her untamed soul. The moonlight spilled onto her chest and shoulders.  
Her soft (e/c) eyes looked into the creature’s eyes, searching deep into his soul.  
She extended slowly her hands, as she had seen Natasha do.  
“The sun is getting really low” she whispered tenderly.  
A big green hand took carefully hers. (Y/n) rubbed her thumb across the thick skin of his forearm, her eyes fixed in him as he slowly transformed into the man she knew.  
____________  
[A/N: All I want, Kodaline]  
...  
He was the first one to arrive.  
Pietro had ran through the entire tower, trying to find the place where the sound had come from. He ended in front of the room where (y/n) was. His mind was an utter mess and couldn’t formulate a single rational thought.  
Summoning his courage, he entered the room.

He was left aghast.  
In front of him was standing (y/n), hugged tightly by Wanda, Bruce and Clint. Small tears streamed down their faces.  
And when their eyes met, she smiled.

When Pietro saw her smile, the fear and pain from that days whisked away like it had never existed. Excitement rushed through his veins.  
Happiness flare in her eyes, and, for the first time in a while, it began to in Pietro's. Even if the world around him had collapsed in that moment, his heart wouldn’t have gotten crushed as long as he was looking at her.

(Y/n) ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. Pietro pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
Her hand raised slowly, cupping his face.  
“You’re alive” she whispered.  
Pietro tried to speak. He wanted to say so many things...  
“I’ve missed you”, “You’re alive”, “Do never do that again”, “I could never let you go”…  
“I love you”…  
But all of them sounded hollow…  
His voice faltered into unintelligible croaks.  
He looked into her eyes. She still had that fierce look from the strong girl he had known in Wakanda.

He leant forwards, and (y/n)’s pulse raced. A small lock of hair tumbled in front of her face, resting in her forehead and eyes, but, with one swift slide of his thumb, it was brushed out of the way. Looking into his eyes, (y/n) saw deep pools of blue that displayed his soul. His lips touched her forehead.  
Time stopped.  
Her heart came to a halt. Her breath got caught in her throat. Their fingers locked together similar to puzzle pieces. As the soft skin of his mouth left her face, the exact spot where they had come into contact burned and tingled. A hot blazing fire pulsed through (y/n).  
A small grin crept into Pietro’s face and her cheeks painted themselves rose red.  
Their eyes remained locked, having a private conversation of their own.  
But (Y/n)’s eyes clouded over. The storm of feelings in her inside was overwhelming.  
Before she could restore her calm and confidence, Pietro hugged her again tightly, while her tears dripped from her cheeks into his blue shirt. His arms were encircled around her waist, making her forget where she was except for that smiling face in front of her.

In her embrace, Pietro felt how the world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no pain, no wind.  
His mind was at peace. He felt her body press in, soft and warm.  
He was finally at home.

“WHAT?!” Steve and Tony claimed in disbelief as they arrived and entered in the room.  
Natasha, Vision, Thor and Helen Cho where standing next to them.  
(Y/n) turned around, still on Pietro’s embrace. She saw shock on their faces.  
A small smile played on her lips.  
“Didn’t you say “Walk it off”, Captain?”

Everyone heard her sweet and joyful laughter again. It echoed through the halls, into each and every room of the tower.

And the part of their souls that had gone away during her absence returned.  
_______  
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Tony repeated again, while he hugged (y/n) warmly.

 

"The biggest Stark party you've ever seen”  
______

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: YAY!!!^^  
> Did you like the chapter and the song? I hope so.  
> By the way, there are still many chapters to come ;)  
> And a big party is coming!!
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro's hugs
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	9. Welcome to the Avengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is important!!  
> Read the A/N at the end of this chapter. I've got a surprise for all of you!
> 
> Enjoy!

“She is alive”  
“Oh my fucking god.”  
“SHE. IS. ALIVE.”

Wanda tried to keep a straight face as she read her brother’s thoughts. He was in trance, his blue eyes fixed in the young avenger as she greeted and hugged warmly her other teammates.  
(Y/N)’s happiness and laughter spread through the room. It was like a cloudless spring day, that kind of days where you don’t notice the weather at all, where the sky is blue, the temperature isn’t warm nor cold and the delicate flowers bloom around your feet.

A soft hand in her shoulder brought Wanda back to the room.  
When she turned around she saw Bruce. His eyes were filled with regret that washed over him like the long and slow waves on a shallow beach.  
“I’m sorry, Wanda” he said in a whisper.  
Wanda looked at him surprised and scared.  
She couldn’t forget about the fact that, just a few moments ago, the same person that was now apologizing, had been looking at her with ferocious and violent green eyes.  
“I wanted to say goodbye to (Y/N)”, Bruce explained, “I care about her a lot. She’s like the sister I never had. I think she is like a sister to all of us, not only for Clint. So, when I saw you, I thought you were trying to hurt her and…” guilt travelled along his face, “I tried to contain the other guy… Hulk… but the feelings I had been trying to supress since Sokovia became overwhelming and… Everything went out of control. But... when the other guy saw her alive, he calmed down...”  
Wanda nodded. She was still scared of the man standing in front of her. The image of his enraged semblance would take its time to fade from her memories.

But she understood him.

If something similar had happened to Pietro, if she thought someone was hurting him, she would have reacted in the same way. What Bruce felt at that moment were strong emotions and everyone would have succumbed to them.  
Bruce turned around slowly and went next to Natasha, who hold his hand tenderly.

“Wanda” said another voice.

It was Clint’s. He was walking towards them from the other side of the room.  
Pietro, who had been hearing the conversation between her sister and Bruce, came next to her.  
But none of them expected the big and warm hug that Clint gave them.

Since (Y/N) had given her energy to save Pietro, Clint had distanced himself from the twins. He avoided them.  
He had never blamed Pietro for the things that had happened, but his feelings were mixed. Clint felt a deep gratitude towards him for saving his life, but, at the same time, he felt sad and couldn’t help to think that he wanted his sister to be alive. And that would have been possible if she hadn’t saved the person who had saved him...

“Thank you” he said, happiness tears rolling down his cheeks.  
Wanda and Pietro, who were at first surprised, quickly hugged him too.

It was a wonderful feeling.

“Pietro, Wanda,” said Steve

"Welcome to the avengers.”  
_____________  
“I’m okay, for god’s sake! You don’t have to worry for me!” (Y/N) repeated as Tony, Clint and Nat made her sit down on the sofa as she tried to go to the kitchen.

(Y/N) was no longer on the hospital wing. After Helen Cho had examined her, she concluded that (Y/N) was as fit as a fiddle.  
Nevertheless, she needed to rest so that the huge amount of energy she had been given could stablish properly in her cells.

But.

(Y/N) felt as if she had been injected adrenaline, flooding her system as if it was on an intravenous drip. Her body wanted to go to the training room to begin practising new fighting techniques. But there she was, standing still on the sofa.  
She tried to hide it, but all that energy had to go somewhere.

The nights were awful. Her eyes wouldn’t close. Insomnia haunted her. She would stare at the ceiling during hours in the comfort of her bed. Her mind lighted up with endless thoughts, possibilities and feelings.

That was until Helen Cho forced her to take some sleeping pills.  
But calling them sleeping pills would be an understatement.

The last time (Y/N) took one was during dinner with the avengers. She was sitting bleary-eyed at the table, munching her way slowly through a mouthful of apple pie. Suddenly, with no apparent reason, she stopped munching. Her jaw went slack, her eyes glazed over blankly and her head nodded forward. Next thing was a loud “whomp!” as her head landed right smack in the table.

But at least she could get some sleep, letting her new energy to establish.

It was just for five days, but they were becoming the five longest days of her live. Not a single Avenger would let her do a thing. So she spent all the days seated on the sofa watching TV, reading books or walking through the tower. Mainly the two first activities, as Clint thought that wandering around the tower was a “great” physical effort.

However, that situation also had its good things. The best one was that she could spent more time with her friends… and with him…

Pietro would always sit next to her on the sofa.  
They would talk for hours about different things. His tone was usually flirtatious and teasing, but his eyes were filled with tenderness.  
They talked about books, films, their powers, their hopes, dreams…  
The more they talked, the more Pietro felt that he was opening up to (Y/N).

He had never opened up to someone, except for his sister.  
Nobody knew the real him.  
Nobody knew how many times he had cried in his room when Wanda wasn’t watching. Nobody knew how many times he had lost hope, how many times he had been let down. Nobody knew the thoughts that went through his head when he was sad.  
And in their conversations, he felt how he slowly showed (Y/N) the real him. And he was scared. He had never done that before. No one had ever asked him what his favourite book was, or what music genre he liked, or even how he felt about his powers.  
They seemed to be small and futile things, but all of them were a part of him. And when he talked to (Y/N), he showed her that small yet significant things.

“What happens when people open their hearts?” he once asked (Y/N) while they watched a series on the TV.  
“They get better.” (Y/N) replied softly.

But, whenever they talked, they never brought up the subject that kept them awake at night.  
They didn’t talk about how each of them had sacrificed for the other.

And, whenever Pietro tried to talk about his feelings, his voice would falter, and his mind would reproach him such boldness. After all, why would he deserve the wonderful person standing next to him? What would she notice in him, in a person who had only made mistakes?

And, whenever (Y/N) tried to talk about her feelings, her voice would falter, and her mind would censure her daring. After all, what did she had to make the young silver boy stay? Why would he love her? 

Sometimes, when (Y/N) talked to other Avengers, Pietro would observe her for a long time, and she generally pretended not to notice. But when she returned her glances she didn’t had to try to smile, it came naturally, along with some cocky remark such as “Like what you see?” that made Pietro smile.  
In those moments, she would blush slightly.

Pietro always watched her move. And her moves had the elegance and strength of a fierce warrior.  
And it made his heart reach out. (Y/N) put his engine together, like as if it was something she’d been doing all her life.  
______________  
“Wanda, I know we said that once everything was done we would go away… but I don’t want to go… I… Because…” Pietro stuttered nervously, looking at his feet.  
“Neither do I” whispered Wanda, as Pietro rose his surprised eyes to look at her.  
“I’ve also grown close to them, you know” she said with a sad smile.  
Pietro nodded, holding her hand tenderly.

“But there’s something we should have done a long time ago.”   
________________  
Tony opened his eyes. He was standing in the middle of a small room.  
Next to him was a kitchen table, battered pine. The dents from knives and forks, pens and pencils were all over it. The legs had marks from the chews of a dog. It was a table for family meals, celebrations, homework… Around it were four chairs, similar to the table, all of them weathered by time. There were also some photographs in the walls, but Tony focused his attention on something else.

Two of the chairs were occupied by kids: a small girl and a boy. Their legs kicked the air, clearing the floor by several inches as they swung back and forth.

Tony was mesmerized as he observed little Wanda and Pietro. Their eyes and the look on their faces was still the same as in the young Avengers he knew. They were staring at the door in front of them, impatiently.

Tony could hear their stomach’s growling as they squirmed in their seats, trying to silence the rumbling.  
That was when the soft smell of the sweet cookies teased Tony’s nose. The scent was lingering, inviting. Melted with the smell, came a soft and sweet woman’s voice, humming an old song in a different language. The voice was tender, smooth and clear, yet powerful.

Wanda and Pietro smiled excitedly, sighing in satisfaction as a middle-aged woman entered in the room, carrying a plate full of chocolate cookies.

But then, suddenly, Tony was no more in that room.

The walls were crumbled and in their place stood thick beams of wood, blackened and charred from where the flames had licked at them. The rubbles in the room where still smoking and he could see the faintest glow of embers as he manoeuvred around the creaking threshold. Black dust hung in the air and invaded his lungs as he walked around the old room.

His feet bumped something.  
He lowered his eyes: it was a missile.

A cold and grey missile with black and threatening letters at their sides: “STARK”

He gulped as he saw, next to the missile, the little twins, under the remains of the burnt and broken sofa, staring with widened eyes at the artifact.  
Little Pietro was surrounding Wanda with his arms, in a protective hug, distancing her as much as he could from the missile.

And Tony could feel their emotions.

He felt the anticipation of Pietro. It tingled through him like electrical sparks on the way to the ground, gathering in his toes. The beating of his heart pounded with futility against its cage of bone and cartilage.  
The dread Pietro felt was an invisible demon sitting heavy on his shoulders.

Wanda had her eyes closed as she whispered “Mama” over and over again.  
She felt darkness. That type of darkness that robs the best in you and replaces it with a paralysing fear. Her muscles were cramped and unable to move. She tried not to breathe. Breathing made noise, and the missile could explode in any moment.

Pietro wondered for the first time why people invented hells of fire and brimstone. Right in that moment he was in one, and it was the room where he had been living since he was a toddler. And he begged for it to end. Each second felt like an eternity, as they observed the missile and the name written in it.

“Mama” whispered Wanda in sobs.  
Pietro hold her hand tightly. He observed the missile as hate burned in his heart so deep that it ingrained in his skin the word “Stark”.  
“Zakryt' vam glaza . Mama prikhodit domoy v blizhaysheye vremya [Close your eyes. Mum is coming home soon]” whispered Pietro as tears rolled silently down his cheeks.

“The first missile exploded. The second one didn’t.” said a voice inside Tony’s head.  
“We waited for three days.”  
“We waited for it to explode.”  
“We waited three days for you to kill us.”

 

When Tony opened his eyes, Wanda and Pietro, the young ones, were in front of him. Wanda had her eyes red and bleary, while Pietro looked at him with anger.

“You took everything we had from us” Wanda said softly, lowering her hands with reddish flames from Tony’s head, “And we wanted you to know how it felt.”

Tony’s eyes became watery, as the tears made wet tracks down his face and dripped from his wobbling chin.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered, “and I know that it will never be enough” his voice broke as he turned around and exited the room.

Wanda tried to blink briny tears from her bloodshot eyes, still lost in that memory. Pietro hugged her tightly as he whispered tenderly in her ear:  
“Vanda , ne plach' . My sdelali eto . My ne dolzhny ubegat' i zhit' na ulitse. My ne budet golodnym bol'she . No , pozhaluysta vernut'sya iz etoy pamyati . My domoy.  
[Wanda, don’t cry. We’ve done it. We won’t have to run away and live in the streets. We won’t be hungry anymore. But, please, come back from that memory. We’re home now]”

______________  
Pietro entered in the kitchen. It was almost midnight, but he couldn’t sleep. His sister was already safe and sound, deep in slumber, but he couldn’t get Tony's words out of his head. They kept resounding like the beat of a drum.  
“I know that it will never be enough”

When he turned around he saw (Y/N), asleep on one of the kitchen chairs, with her head leaned on the wall.  
Pietro smiled at the lovely sight. Her soft and ivory shoulders were exposed and her (h/c) hair fell down her back.  
He always managed to discover beauty in her from each piece he craved.

But it was not only her looks which attracted him. It was her fierce, energetic and happy personality.  
Physical attraction was common, but mental connections were rare.  
Rare and beautiful. And Pietro felt it.

He saw the box of her sleeping pills on the table. The giggles rolled out of him like waves on a long shallow beach as he approached her. (Y/N) hadn’t had enough time to reach her bed after taking the sleeping pills.  
He carefully placed one of his arms around his back and the other around her thighs, lifting her up from the chair.

She opened her tired eyes to see who was moving her.  
Pietro caught a glimpse of a little rise in the corner of her mouth, combined with the dreamy look in her eyes, giving him inner delight. He savoured the moment as he carried her slowly to her room.

“I’m going to take you to bed” he whispered as she struggled to open her eyes.  
“You have no idea… how badly… I wanted to hear you… say that” she answered in a sleepy voice.

Pietro almost tripped. He gulped loudly as he observed the asleep avenger. His heart began pumping madly.

Had she just...?

“She’s asleep. She doesn’t know what she is saying” he thought, although he could feel a glowing heat growing in his cheeks and through his body.

"Control yourself, Pietro" he thought.  
____________  
“Sometimes, I wake up in the morning and I’m afraid to step out of my room”, Pietro said so softly that (Y/N) wondered in her blurred mind if someone was really talking or she had finally fallen asleep, “I am afraid that you aren’t real or that you haven’t waken up since Sokovia. And I pray that it’s real.”  
Pietro left (Y/N) carefully on her bed. He lifted his hand to caress her soft cheek.  
“I’ve never been skilled at making things last. Only Wanda has stayed. But you…” he gulped, as he moved his hand to her hair, “you’re not tied to me in any way. It’s terrifying.”

He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling disappointed for not being able to tell her that things when she was awake.

“Have sweet dreams. Tomorrow night is Stark’s party, and you’ll need to rest”

He placed a soft kiss in her forehead as he exited slowly her room.

But someone was waiting for him outside of it.  
And that person had been there long enough to hear his words.

"Pietro" the person whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!:
> 
> \- First of all, next chapter will be about Stark's party, and it'll be epic ;) But! I'm going on a trip for some days and I won't have time to write, so I'll post it the 8th of June (Monday). I know it's a lot of time, but I really need it to write the chapter properly... Hope you understand it!  
> -And the other thing, THE SURPRISE! is that you'll choose what the reader (you) wears on the Stark party! YAY.  
> If you click this link, you'll see six dresses:  
> http://www.polyvore.com/never_let_me_go/set?id=163080295  
> Tell me the colour of the one you like the most!  
> The most voted one will appear on the chapter! You've got until Friday!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Comments make Pietro want to dance ;)
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	10. The Stark party (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: YAY! I could finish this chapter sooner than I expected to, so here it is!  
> As it was a bit long, I divided it in some parts. This is the first one.  
> Enjoy! ;)  
> (PS: the silver dress won!)

“Pietro” a voice whispered.  
The silver haired boy turned around. Natasha was standing in front of him, leaning on the white wall, her pensive eyes fixed on him.  
“How long have you been there?” demanded Pietro.  
“Long enough to hear your love confession” she replied.  
Pietro’s mouth formed a rigid grimace. With arms folded tightly across his broad chest, he began tapping his foot softly while he stared at the Black Widow.  
“Didn’t someone taught you that eavesdropping on other people’s conversations is inadequate?” asked Pietro slowly, trying to contain his fear and anger.  
It was hard for him to open up to people, and knowing that someone had been hearing his delicate words just a moment ago, without his permission, made his chest tighten into a knot like a cramp, a quiet rage building inside.  
“The people who trained me didn’t make it clear… the limits between good and bad” she answered.  
They remained silent for a moment, looking at each other steadily.  
“Do not tell her.” said Pietro in a soft but dangerous voice.  
“I’m not here to bother you. I won’t tell her a word. But you should” she replied calmly.  
Cold sweat glistened on his furrowed brows. His hands clasped tightly in front of his stomach. He fiddled with his knuckles, weaving his fingers in and out of each other.  
“I can’t” he whispered.  
“For god’s sake, Pietro! You have to! You can’t imagine how painful is to see you looking at her the way you do while you stay there, missing one opportunity after another. Grow balls and do something before it’s too late!” she stated angrily.  
As soon as she finished talking, she started walking down the corridor, not looking back.  
The silence after that conversation caressed Pietro’s skin like a cold summer breeze, cooling his soul.  
“It’s not that easy” he sighed into the silence of the night.  
___________

During the following day there was a rush of footfalls as everyone went from one place to another, preparing the last details of the party that would take place that night.  
Wanda was in her room, observing with unease two black dresses laid on her bed. None of them was appropriate for Stark’s party, but she did not have much to pick and choose from.  
She seated on a chair, feeling how her loneliness grew steadily until it dominated her emotions.  
During all her life she had been alone except for her brother.  
She had never had friends. They were always on the run, barely able to get to know the people from the cities and villages where they stayed.  
She had not been given many opportunities to get close to people, and when one came by, she let it go. Even if she made friends, she would have to leave them sooner or later, and that would hurt her more than the loneliness she had become used to.  
But Wanda couldn’t help but miss the little things in which a friend could help her, and that situation, even though it was futile and trivial, was one of them.  
If only she had someone to advise her… There were some holes in her life which her brother, despite his tenderness and affection, could not fill.  
She was now a part of the Avengers, but even in that moment, she wouldn’t know how to befriend them. It had been so many time since she had had a friend, that it was difficult for her to forge new bonds.  
An insistent knock on the door brought her back from her thoughts.  
When she opened it, she saw Natasha and (Y/N). They were both carrying several dresses on their arms.  
“So, as the new member of the Avengers, the girls…” explained Natasha.  
“… we always meet up in order to get dressed before a Stark party!” finished (Y/N) excitedly.  
Wanda looked at them with surprise.  
“Maria Hill can’t join us, but we will see her and Pepper at the party. You’ll love Pepper. And about Jane, she won’t be able to come” continued (Y/N).  
It was curious. Wanda could resist tears and behave stoically in the hardest hours of grief. But when someone made her a friendly gesture, like that one, trying to break her out of her shell, everything seemed to collapse.  
“If you’re not okay with it, we can meet later” replied (Y/N), observing Wanda’s confused face.  
“No!” Wanda replied immediately, “It’s just that… I… I didn’t expected you to come” she stuttered.  
(Y/N) hugged her warmly.  
“Well, now that you’re in the Avengers, you’ll have to put up with us!” (Y/N) whispered.  
Natasha chuckled as she observed the two girls tenderly.  
“Well, it’s mainly Nat who you will have to put up with the most” (Y/N) said to the twin.  
“I heard you” said the Russian Avenger, trying to keep a straight face.  
As (Y/N) pulled apart from the embrace, Wanda felt something strange. Like if something was blooming in the centre of her chest, a kind of seed basking in the warm soil. She knew that it would become a tree. A tree with an endless sheer, enormity and grandeur.  
“Do you have your dress prepared?” asked Natasha to Wanda.  
“The thing is… I don’t have any dresses for tonight” she replied, looking at her feet.  
“Don’t worry, neither do I” laughed (Y/N).  
Natasha sighed.  
“Well, then, the dress delivery for the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella is here!”  
“Should we trust your taste in fashion, Agent Romanov?” (Y/N) asked teasingly.  
“Oh darling, I’ve been able to get nuclear codes with my sense of fashion” Natasha winked at (Y/N).  
Wanda observed everything with a small smile in her lips.  
She had observed their kindness during that days from a close point of view. It was a clear language that the deaf could hear and the blind could see.  
Wanda began talking to Natasha and (Y/N). Their energy and happiness made her feel at home.  
She felt as if she could trust and lean on them.  
She felt as if, at last, she could have a good time with her …friends.  
___________  
Steve was about to knock again when the door opened.  
“Pietro”, Steve greeted the silver haired boy, “the guys and I are having some drinks. It’s a habit of ours before a Stark party. Want to join us?”  
Pietro blinked, surprised.  
He was the newest recruit on the Tower and he didn’t expect his partners to try to bond with him so soon. In fact he would have been surprised if anyone had tried to forge friendship bonds with him.  
“Friendship”… it just sounded as strange as the word “home”…  
Although he was beginning to understand them.  
“Are you sure you want me to join you?” asked Pietro, unsure about Steve’s offer.  
“Well, of course” laughed Steve while he led Pietro to the living room.  
They both walked silently until Steve broke the silence.  
“You know”, he said to Pietro, “friendship is a very comforting thing to have”  
An unexpected warmth rushed through Pietro as he savoured that word: “friendship”.  
“Captain…” whispered Pietro, “I’m sorry about the…” he said pointing to Steve’s jaw, which was still a bit red from their encounter.  
“Don’t worry about it. As I see it, it was worth it” a suspicious smile played on his lips.  
______________  
“You’ll go first, (Y/N)” said Nat handing her a long, silver dress.  
A gasp escaped from the lips of the young Avenger as she hold the delicate dress. She looked at Natasha:  
“Is this for me?”  
“Put on the dress!” said Wanda, smiling.  
(Y/N) put the dress slowly. It was form fitting and caressed her curves. The silk cloth went down to her toes with a slight graze. It had a side slit that reached her waist, just a few inches from her underwear, leaving her long right leg at sight. The sweetheart neckline fitted her perfectly. Not very revealing, but enough to make Clint complain about it.  
“Holy crap” (Y/N) whispered as she observed her reflection on a mirror next to Wanda’s wardrobe.  
“Classy, sophisticated and...” stated Natasha, eyeing at (Y/N).  
“Sexy” finished Wanda. They both nodded.  
“Someone is going to have an eyegasm” Nat winked at Wanda, who began laughing.  
“What are you two talking about?” said (Y/N), feeling the heat growing in her cheeks.  
“Oh, come on, I can’t believe you haven’t noticed it” Nat teased.  
(Y/N) felt as if all her insecurities were writ large across her red cheeks and there was nowhere to hide. Her anxieties mounted becoming a circle, like a song stuck on repeat.  
“If only you could hear his thoughts…” continued Wanda.  
“Poor boy…” said Nat, trying to hide her sniggers, “and this is yours” she handed Wanda her dress.  
“What?” Wanda froze to the spot, looking at the long and elegant dark burgundy dress that Natasha had given to her.  
“Oh come on, I’m sure that our red man will love it” chuckled Nat.  
“I… Vision is not…” Wanda began blushing.  
“And what about you, Nat?” asked (Y/N) mischievously, “which one is your dress?”  
Nat showed them a beautiful white short dress.  
“I bet our nerdy scientist likes it” (Y/N) winked at Nat, who contained her blush as she grinned.  
“Come over here (Y/N), your make-up will be the first one”  
__________________  
All the guys were seated in the sofa, talking and drinking comfortably.  
Until…  
“So”, said Thor, looking at Pietro, “Maximoff, when are you going to go one step further with your courtship?”  
Pietro spat out his drink into the glass and he began coughing. Everyone could register the shock in his face before he could hide it.  
Almost all the Avengers leaned back on the sofa, laughing uproariously. Almost everyone. Clint had a serious semblance and Tony was trying to keep a straight face.  
Even Vision was laughing at Pietro’s reaction.  
“As always, dear Thor, your opportune comment comes at the most inappropriate moment” said Tony, pointing discreetly at Clint, who had his arms crossed over his chest.  
“And, what do you mean by next step, Thor?” continued Sam teasingly, “That reference could have an erotic meaning” he laughed.  
“I meant to ask Pietro if he was planning to ask lady (Y/N) out” answered Thor seriously.  
They all looked at Pietro, as an uncomfortable rosiness appeared in his cheeks. Blushing would have not been a problem, but he was going as red as Vision and he radiated like a hot pan.  
Was it so obvious that he was in love with her?  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” he whispered.  
“Weren’t you courting her?” asked Thor confused, “Well, I suppose that flirting in Midgard is not the same as in Asgard”  
“Come on guys, they are just friends” claimed Clint, a bit exasperated.  
“If you say so... Although I wouldn’t blame him if he was trying to conquer her” exclaimed Tony, who was half laughing, half hiccupping.  
“No one would blame him” teased Sam, “I think that I may even ask her for a dance tonight.”  
A soft growl came out of Pietro’s throat.  
“Someone doesn’t want their small sister to grow up?” said Banner, trying to keep a straight face.  
Clint’s eyes fixed on Pietro. He liked the silver haired guy, but he wanted to protect her sister. Her small and baby sister. That included protecting her from guys who wanted to kiss and grope her. The sole thought of it made him angry.  
Pietro, on the other side, was sporting a counterfeit smile, hoping that the awkwardness that bathed the moment would be transient. He swallow his drink, breathing heavily.  
Steve noticed it, so he changed the subject:  
“Well, I think it’s time to get prepared” he stated.  
They all got up from the sofas. Pietro was about to speed off when a hand tapped his shoulder. He turned around. Thor was looking at him with a serious semblance.  
“If you want to impress her tonight, I can let you some bilgesnipe’s teeth I have in my room.”  
Pietro nodded, not knowing what in hell a bilgesnipe was, and zoomed out of the room before the situation got more awkward.  
Steve reached Thor, Sam and Banner before they got out of the room.  
“I think he’ll need a little bit of help tonight... Know what that means?” he whispered softly.  
All of them nodded suspiciously.  
Clint walked past them: “Don’t want any dirty tricks tonight, Captain.”  
As soon as Clint was out of sight, Tony approached them:  
“Who wants to make bets?”  
___________  
“(Y/N), I’m still busy curling Wanda’s hair, open the door!” Natasha said from the inside of the bathroom.  
“I’m going” said (Y/N) as she approached the door.  
She looked at her reflection in the mirror as she walked. She was ready for the party. Her make-up was minimal, a light mascara and eyeliner which made her (E/C) eyes stand out. She licked her bottom carmine lip giving it a wet shine.  
When she opened the door she saw Pietro. He was wearing a white cotton shirt with a silky dark blue vest and pants that fitted his sculptural body perfectly. His face was strong and defined, features moulded from granite. His distinct cheekbones, angular jaw and pale skin made him look devilishly handsome.  
His strong brows arched with unease as his eyes, which were of a mesmerising deep ocean blue, were fixed in his tie. He was twisting it clumsily with his strong hands.  
His soft and sharp lips were attractive and captivating. He made a small pout, and (Y/N) had to resist the urge of touching his lips.  
He was way beyond handsome. And inside, he was even more beautiful.  
She felt her body flush. She wanted to know him more than she’d ever felt before.  
“Wanda, this is impossible, I just can’t” Pietro hissed as he looked at his tie with annoyance, “Do you know how to tie this stupid thing?”  
His eyes looked at the person in front of him.  
And, for a moment, he forgot how to breathe.  
The girl in front of him could have graced any billboard or magazine cover, but she was better than those two dimensional photo-shopped models.  
His knees began to tremble under her eyes. The way that her long lashes framed her (E/C) eyes when she looked at him, the way her red lips curled up into a mischievous grin…She had a kind of understated beauty. Was she aware of her disarmingly prettiness?  
She was painted with the most beautiful colors and he couldn’t help but think that her pallet would literally made Picasso shed a tear. She smiled and the rays of colors from every end of the spectrum went running in all directions.  
His eyes lowered to her body.  
He was left aghast. The long silver dress she was wearing fitted perfectly her figure, casting a spell of lust to anyone who dared to look at it. Her wild (H/C) hair kissed the skin of her bare shoulders.  
His eyes kept travelling along her body. He sucked in a deep breath as he imagined kissing her lips, her shoulders, way down… to reach her legs, which peeped out from the side slit of the dress.  
To say that she was gorgeous would be like saying that the sun is yellow. Sufficient but not accurate to capture the burning.  
“Quicksilver knows how to make his enemies surrender but he is defenseless against a tie?” she teased, as her faint red lips grinned at him.  
He tilted his head upwards, letting (Y/N)’s soft hands tie his tie. His voice wouldn’t come to him.  
(Y/N) observed Pietro, who had his eyes fixed on hers. He was smiling a little, a smile with a twist to it, like a small child who was determined not to show any weakness.  
His eyes shone so impossibly blue that she would have spent her life believing that he had his own sky inside them.  
She lowered her eyes to the tie.  
“Done” she whispered.  
Pietro’s hand rose slowly to cup her face. Each point where their skin came in contact tingled and burned with desire.  
He found himself moving closer as his blue eyes went wide with wonder.  
He leaned his face forwards, caressing her ear with his lips.  
Her breath quickened. Her heart stuttered as her chest ached with some unknown need.  
She felt Pietro’s hot breath in her ear, his lips brushing against it.  
“You look stunning tonight” he whispered seductively.  
(Y/N) approached to his ear, letting her lips caress his ear lobe softly like the touch of a feather.  
“You look quite…” she said, not being able to find the appropriate word.  
“Do not say sexy” she thought.  
“… sexy” she finished.  
Dammit.  
She felt his lips curl up in a smile as they went from her ear to her cheek. His hand surrounded her waist.  
“Sexy?” he asked in a soft groan.  
(Y/N)’s hands skimmed up his chest, sliding to his shoulder, her fingers tracing the line of the muscles in his arms, down to his waist.  
He reached up and brushed his marked knuckles across her cheek, amazed by the feeling of her, the way her eyes seemed to see everything deep inside him.  
In that moment he couldn’t even remember why he shouldn’t kiss her.  
“Did you feel that?” she asked.  
Pietro nodded. He felt so much.  
Always so much.  
“(Y/N), who was that?” Nat asked as she exited from the bathroom.  
“Natasha, wait!” Wanda said, but it was already too late.  
“Dammit” Wanda heard Natasha’s thought as they looked surprised at (Y/N) and Pietro.  
The two of them pulled apart, blushing ferociously.  
“I…” stuttered Pietro.  
“You were here to take (Y/N) to the party, weren’t you?” said Natasha, trying to make the situation a little less awkward.  
“Yes” he said immediately, as he offered his arm to the young avenger.  
“See you there, girls” she said as she took Pietro’s arm.  
They were about to go when Nat said:  
“(Y/N), you’re forgetting your purse!” she threw it to her.  
(Y/N) caught it in the air, showing off her quick reflexes.  
When they both exited the room, Wanda asked:  
“What did you put inside her purse?”  
Natasha gave her an innocent look.  
“I saw you” replied Wanda.  
Natasha grinned mischievously: “You’ll see later.”  
“And if he doesn’t kiss her tonight, I’ll beat his ass” she added.  
Wanda caught Nat’s sentence and transmitted it to Pietro’s mind. She could feel his small smirk as he walked with the young avenger.  
_______________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was just the beginning!  
> There are more parts to come! Stay tuned ;)
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro's smirk
> 
> Love, Alice Maximoff


	11. The Stark Party (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: YAY!!! I'm so excited. I loved writing this. Hope you like it as well!  
> Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part. Sometimes you'll see more than one song (I couldn't chose the best one!)
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

Pietro gazed (Y/N) as they walked down the hall. She had the perfect balance of danger and charm. She was at the same time fascinating and inaccessible, possessing such strength of character that she was dismaying and, at the same time, utterly attractive.  
“Tonight you’ll be the centre of attention” he whispered into her ear.  
“I don’t like being on the spotlight, you know? I prefer enjoying the night with the people I really want to, not pleasing and greeting other guests” she sighed. She was observing the floor as they walked, trying not to look at his mesmerising eyes.  
“Would you save a dance for me tonight?” he asked.  
She rose her head to look at his semblance. His eyes were the blue of water, so deep that she was afraid to jump in, but it still tempted her inevitably.  
“Only one?” she smiled. Her cheeks were still slightly rose from their brief and intense encounter just a moment ago.  
“You know I would ask for every single dance tonight, to be by your side…” Pietro answered.  
He stopped walking and so did (Y/N).  
Pietro began turning his tie in his strong hands but went on looking at (Y/N) in a way that made her want to crawl into his arms.  
Pietro felt himself blinded by her eyes. They invaded his thoughts, leaving him in a blank state of mind.  
“Pietro Maximoff” she said teasingly, with a mischievous smirk, “That sounded practiced. How many girls have swooned with that pick-up line?  
“There is only one girl I care to make swoon right now” he replied, as his lip tugged upwards.  
“And… does she?” she replied, intrigued by the smile upon his face.  
“This is the moment” he thought.  
Pietro remained quiet. Silence gnawed at his insides, hanging in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground. It seeped into his pores, paralyzing him from either speech or movement.  
“I’ve never said this to a girl before…”  
(Y/N) bit her lip, waiting.  
“I’m… I’m not sure how to say this” his frazzle nerves were jumping together.  
He took a deep breath, in a failed attempt to remain calm.  
“I…” his words got trapped in his throat, “I… I really like fighting evil with you.” His words tumbled out.  
Dammit.  
“What?” said (Y/N), as her eyes widened with surprise.  
“What the hell was that?” Pietro’s inner voice yelled at him.  
(Y/N) looked at her feet. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes looked down at the floor in a sad gaze. Her mouth was set in a semi-pout. For just one moment, she thought that Pietro was about to declare his love...  
His love? His love for her? Why would he do that?  
What they had being doing until that moment was just flirting and teasing.  
It didn’t have to mean something else. What a silly thing to think…  
She regained her composure immediately, setting aside the storm of feelings inside her chest as she kicked the floor with her heel.  
But Pietro had seen her expression before she could hide it.  
“So do I, Pietro” she answered, trying to hide her sadness, “We should go, the rest of the team is waiting for us.”  
Pietro observed in angst how the girl of her dreams walked away, down the hall.  
He wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole, but there was no rescue from that situation. That memory would remain seared into his brain forever, ready to pop up and censure his words at any moment.  
He had wanted to tell her everything.  
What in hell was that? Why hadn’t he told her? That was the moment, and he had let it go.  
He breathed deeply and tried to swallow his inner voice's retorts.  
“Sure” he replied.  
(Y/N) felt a gust of wind at her side as Pietro walked next to her towards the living room.  
___________  
As (Y/N) and Pietro entered the room, they heard wolf whistles.  
All the Avengers, except for Natasha and Wanda, were standing in the living room, looking at them. They all wore tuxedos that fitted them perfectly and made their attractive features stand out.  
“Lady (Y/N), you look absolutely gorgeous” said Thor. He took one of her hands, kissing it delicately.  
Pietro observed in unease how (Y/N) left his side to greet the guys. A strange feeling began to bloom in his soul as he observed (Y/N) hugging and talking to the boys.  
He wanted to be with her alone again, to tell her what he hadn’t been able just a moment ago… He didn’t want Tony, Bruce, Steve or Sam to hug her, to touch her, to wrap their arms around her waist…  
(Y/N) kept talking to her team mates, oblivious to the gale of feelings inside the silver haired boy's chest. She was also trying to hide hers.  
She approached to Vision and leaned to whisper into his ear: “Vision, I think lady Maximoff is waiting for you in her room, so you can both walk together to the party. It’s very impolite to make a lady wait, isn’t it?”  
His eyes widened and (Y/N) smiled pleased when she heard his answer:  
“Certainly, Miss Barton. Thanks for the reminder.”  
He exited the room quickly, while the other Avengers talked between them.  
“Bruce”, (Y/N) said while she smiled at the scientist, “I think Natasha was looking for you. Something to do with the zipper of her dress”  
Bruce’s cheeks became a colour to rival the rose-pink hue of her nail polish.  
“Excuse me guys” he said as he followed Vision through the door.  
The giggle built up inside her like so much water behind a dam, making her shoulders shake and her belly hurt. Clint, who had been hearing her sister’s conversation with Bruce and Vision, looked at her with amused eyes. She giggled that same way as when she was little girl and ate a jar of cookies without their parents noticing.  
He smiled tenderly at her.  
“So… that dress…” he began.  
“Natasha chose it! Blame it on her!” she answered teasingly.  
“I bet that, right now, she’s a bit busy with her zipper” he replied.  
They both laughed, but Clint saw a hint of sadness in his sister’s eyes.  
“Are you okay?” he whispered. His semblance turned into a serious expression.  
(Y/N) looked at her brother and his worried eyes.  
“Yes, everything is fine” she smiled to reassure her words.  
Clint was about to ask her again when Steve and Tony approached.  
Steve wrapped his arm around (Y/N)’s waist, and so did Tony from the other side.  
“Clint, we have to steal your sister to greet the guests”  
(Y/N) sighed with exasperation as the two Avengers lead her to the elevator.  
“No energy blasts to escape, darling” chuckled Tony as they entered and Steve pressed the floor button.  
When she turned around, getting rid of Steve and Tony’s arms, she saw Pietro, who was looking at her fixedly. His expression was unreadable, but if she had been closer, she would have seen a sad and jealous hint in his eyes as he observed how Tony and Steve made her laugh, surrounded her waist…  
“See you later” she mimicked.  
Pietro smiled at her as the elevator’s doors closed.  
“Thor”, he said, looking at the Asgardian god, “Do you still have that bliglesnipe’s tooth?”  
_________________  
“Oh my god Tony, remind me again... Why do I have to greet all the guests of the party with you two?” (Y/N) smiled as another guest came next to them.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you” she nodded and shook hands with the guest.  
“Because, darling…” Tony interrupted their conversation to greet another guest, “Steve is the captain, I am the one that holds the party and you have charisma.”  
“Pepper is also charismatic” (Y/N) replied.  
“Mr. and Mrs. Wood, it’s a pleasure to see you tonight” greeted the captain.  
“It’s about charisma and patience” Steve whispered to (Y/N) as Mr and Mrs Wood headed towards the party.  
The three of them were standing outside the entrance door that lead to the Avenger’s Tower.  
Steve had always insisted to greet their guests at the entrance of the party, as it was a “well-mannered” gesture, as he used to say. He had convinced Tony to join him (he had almost dragged him there by the hair), and he had insisted (Y/N) to become another member of the “greeting team”, much to her annoyance.  
She sighed and looked at the sky.  
Some nights, she wished she lived in the country, next to Laura and the kids. Living in the city meant more people were out and about that night, cars drove around with their headlights on, businesses lit their fluorescent signs… and sometimes she couldn’t take it. She wanted to see the dark blanket littered with twinkling stars. She wanted shooting stars to be a normal thing. The beauty of the night sky was always masked by the artificial light and airplanes soaring across.  
“How many guests are left?” asked Steve, looking at the street.  
“Five more” replied Tony.  
(Y/N) was still looking at the sky, lost in her thoughts, which finally ended up wandering around the silver haired Avenger.  
“What is the matter, (Y/N)?” Steve asked.  
She lowered her eyes from the sky to look at Steve.  
“Oh… nothing” she murmured.  
“You’re lying. You’ve got the Bohemian face” replied Tony.  
“The Bohemian face?” asked (Y/N), chuckling.  
“Yeah, like wandering around the hidden corners of the universe with your mind while you think about how life started and so on…” Stark explained while he gestured towards the sky.  
(Y/N) remained silence, her eyes fixed on the street, wishing that more guests would appear.  
“Is it about Mr. Speedy?” he asked  
(Y/N) turned her head to the side, trying to avoid her friends’ gaze, but the sudden rosiness of her cheeks gave her away.  
“Yes, it is” answered Steve, figuring out correctly her blush.  
“No, it isn’t” but her words faltered.  
“What did he do?” asked Tony in a soft but angry voice.  
“It’s nothing, Tony” (Y/N) tried to calm him down.  
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll go there and ask him” he warned the young avenger.  
(Y/N) sighed in defeat. Tony would certainly do that.  
“He told me that he liked fighting evil with me”.  
Steve and Tony looked at her, surprised. As they slowly understood the situation, Steve rolled his eyes and Tony sighed exasperatedly.  
“This is worse than I thought” remarked Steve, looking at Tony.  
Tony smirked at the captain, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head backwards.  
“What are you two planning? I also know that face, Tony, and it’s your “You know what we have to do” face.” (Y/N) stated.  
Steve smiled at (Y/N) as he took her hand. They both turned around and walked towards the building.  
“See you at the party, Stark!”  
Tony nodded.  
(Y/N) sighed in defeat for the second time that night.  
At least, there were no more guests to greet.  
______________  
The musicians improvised on stage in their smokey haze and the music danced out of their instruments in a swinging rhythm.  
Pietro’s foot began to tap as his eyes rambled around the room, looking for her.  
But he only saw a dense crowd of strange people dancing, drinking, talking, clapping… infectious grins, strangers shaking hands, patting one another on the back, spontaneous outpouring of emotions… but she was not there.  
“She must be greeting the guests” said a voice next to him.  
Wanda was staring at her brother. She had never seen him stood still in the same place without moving for so long. His eyes were lost in the crowd and she couldn’t help but read his mind again to know what he was thinking.  
“She is not with another guy, Pietro” she whispered.  
“Wanda… why are you reading my mind?” Pietro asked as his eyes scanned again the crowd.  
“Have you seen your puppy abandoned face?” she replied mockingly  
Pietro sighed.  
“What happened?” she asked, placing a hand on his forearm.  
“See it for yourself” he said bitterly disappointed as their eyes met.  
Wanda nodded. She closed her eyes as she reached her brother’s mind. There was a gale of incoherent thoughts and memories. She tried to focus on one of them…  
Pietro continued to scan the crowd with the same results. When he looked at his sister, her eyes were already opened.  
She tried to keep a straight face, but she began giggling.  
“I like fighting evil with you? Really, Pietro?” she said teasingly.  
“It’s not funny, Wanda.” Pietro stated seriously.  
“It is” she answered.  
But then she saw the sad smile in her brother’s face.  
“Hey, Pietro” she whispered as she hugged him warmly, “Everyone makes mistakes. And this may seem like a horrendous one, but it is not. It hasn’t changed a single thing. So now, go there and fix it. Remember?” she said with a smile.  
Pietro caressed her cheek as they pulled apart from their embrace.  
“Do you think I will ever deserve her?” he asked in a whisper.  
“You already do” she smiled.  
“By the way, you look beautiful” he said, noticing his sister’s long and elegant burgundy dress.  
“I was asking myself how long it would take you to notice it” she laughed.  
From the corner of her eye she saw Steve and (Y/N) entering in the room.  
“Dancefloor. With Steve.” She whispered into Pietro’s ear  
_______________  
“So, what is your majestic and mischievous plan, Cap?” asked (Y/N) as she danced with him.  
They were moving slowly, following the song.  
(Y/N) had never learnt to dance a slow song. She liked dancing, feeling the beat and the music through her body… when nobody was watching. Luckily, Steve knew perfectly how to dance that type of songs, so she focused on following his moves and the movements of his hands, one placed on her hip and another holding her hand.  
“I’m sorry, (Y/N), but I don’t get that reference” he replied as (Y/N) did a twirl.  
While she did it, Steve noticed the boy’s look. He was standing next to Wanda, observing them with his narrowed eyes.  
(Y/N) laughed as they continued dancing.  
“Want a drink?” he asked.  
“I’ll go with you, I’m a bit tired of dancing” she answered.  
Steve nodded, and they both walked towards the bar. On their way, he stopped a moment to greet a guest.  
(Y/N) continued walking. She leaned on the counter, her (H/C) hair lying over one shoulder, spreading wildly across her silver dress. She lolled her head to one side, pushing out her red lips just a little, observing the hue amber liquid in the bottles.  
The bar-tender was there to take her order in a flash, his eyes dropping momentarily on her low-cut neckline.  
“So, what will the lady drink tonight?” he whispered seductively.  
(Y/N) was about to answer when a male voice did it in advance.  
“6 shots of tequila” he said with a soft voice.  
(Y/N) turned around. Pietro was standing next to her, and Steve, Tony, Pepper and Sam were approaching.  
The bar-tender gave Pietro a death glare, to which Pietro answered with a low growl.  
“Coming” the bar-tender said angrily.  
Pietro turned to look at (Y/N), who was smiling cheekily at him.  
“So, a shot is it?” Tony asked when he saw the bar-tender pouring the drink in the small glasses.  
(Y/N) eyed the amber liquid and the golden glow of the small glass. They all raised it, and she gulped it, feeling the burn on her tongue and throat, a feeling she hadn’t had for quite some time. She didn’t drink often. In fact, she was quite a lightweight.  
They all let the glass fall heavily, as the bar-tender filled them again. And again.  
Everyone began talking. Thor began to discuss why Asgardian drinks were much better than the concoction they were drinking, while Tony and Steve mocked him. Sam and Pietro began talking and Pepper asked her about her training, about Clint, the life at the tower...  
But the conversation seemed to be far away as Pietro got closer to her, surrounding delicately her waist with his arm.  
She leaned slightly on his chest.

And another shot.  
__________  
All the Avengers were now at the bar, talking and having shots.  
The hours had passed by and the guests were already gone.  
In that moment, (Y/N) looked around with a smile, trying to record in her memory that moment.  
Bruce and Natasha were holding hands, talking in whispers and laughing. Thor and Steve had a profound discussion about which of them would get drunk sooner. Tony and Pepper had gone away, and they would probably be dancing or at the terrace, having some time on their own. Sam and Clint were talking about weapons. Vision and Wanda were on the dancefloor, as Wanda tried to teach Vision some dance moves…  
She smiled. Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people she loved were. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that she would take with her for her entire life, wherever she may have to go.  
She looked at Pietro from his chest. He was stroking her hair and there was something so tender about that gesture... She closed her eyes and sighed happily, trying to record that feeling as well.  
Pietro was smiling at her tenderly. He had noticed how she looked at everyone around her, her smile, how she closed her eyes and sighed happily…  
In that moment he realised, once again, that he could never let her go.

After some minutes, (Y/N) opened her eyes and got up from her chair, heading towards the dancefloor. It was now empty, as Wanda and Vision had gone to the terrace.  
It had been a great night, but she hadn’t been able to do the only thing she had wanted to do… She wasn’t even sure about it anymore. His tender and sweet words confused her.  
She tried to remember, once again, that they were only friends.

“Would you dance with me?” said a Sokovian voice at her back.  
A smile danced in her lips as she turned around to see Pietro, with a hand extended towards her.  
“I thought you wouldn’t ask” she replied.  
“I was waiting for the best moment” he replied, signalling at his surroundings, which were empty except for the Avengers, who were far from them, talking at the bar.  
They both got closer.  
_______  
[The Sound of Silence, Simon and Garfunkel]

The music spun around them, lifting away gravity. She couldn’t count how many times she had squished his foot under her own.  
Still, he smiled brightly as her heels clicked over the ballroom floor. 

They continued to dance and spin. 

The lights were twinkling with every step as (Y/N) spun in delicate circles, her long dress billowing out.  
She loved the pressure of his warm hand on her back and around her waist.  
She felt like a small bird learning how to fly, flailing around and finally taking off with outstretched wings and wind swept feathers.

Pietro stared at her, mesmerised as her hair spun out and bounced more with each move and beat.  
He wanted that moment to last forever.

It was dancing and art coming to life.

And all that mattered was the person in front of him.  
__________  
“They are dancing!” whispered Natasha excitedly as she peeped at the two young Avengers.  
“Yes… they are dancing…” said Clint, clearly less excited than Natasha. He observed Pietro’s hands, placed on her sister’s low back. If he dared to lower them…  
“If you interrupt them, I’ll beat your ass and sell your favourite bow on eBay, the green one” warned Natasha, looking fixedly at Clint with her narrowed eyes.  
“You wouldn’t” he whispered.  
“Try me” she stated dangerously.  
Clint sighed, observing how his little sister twirled and laughed.  
“Let’s see if our plan works” whispered Steve.  
“I knew it”, replied Clint angrily, “What was that plan about?”  
“It started with Natasha’s dress for (Y/N)”, explained Steve. Natasha smiled at them.  
“We thought that he would declare, but he didn’t” sighed the Russian Avenger.  
“So, I danced with your sister, trying to catch Pietro’s attention” continued Steve.  
“And he did. Then the bar-tender helped us, although it was unplanned.” Nat winked at Steve, as he laughed.  
“And if he doesn’t kiss her now, we will have to use the Truth or Dare game” Nat continued to observe them.  
“Wait… Kiss her?!” asked angrily Clint.  
“Easy there, Clint. The green bow. Remember?”  
_________________  
[Skinny love, Bon Iver]  
[Cosmic love, Florence+ The machine]

“(Y/N)”, Pietro whispered into her ear, “Why… Why did you save me in Sokovia?”  
(Y/N)’s eyes widened with surprise. She had been expecting that question, and she had prepared a short and simple answer. But in that moment, looking at his electric eyes, everything she had on mind disappeared.  
There was nothing else left than the truth.  
“I… I saved you because in that moment, I couldn’t bear to know that another day would come, and that you wouldn’t be by my side, by your sister’s side…”  
Pietro pressed his forehead against hers, their lips just a few inches away.  
“If you had died, I would had never been able to forgive myself”  
“Pietro”, she whispered, “Why did you save Clint?”  
Pietro looked at her (E/C) eyes.  
“You know why…”

They stopped dancing and looked at each other intensely.

She was mesmerizing in every way. The faint glimmer of the moonlight ghosted over her pale skin and eyes as deep as the heart of the sea. And when those very eyes smiled at him, a surge of understanding calmed him down and gave him the courage he needed.  
“Can I touch you?” asked (Y/N) hesitantly.  
His lashes closed, resting on top of his pale and sculpted cheeks as his smile grew broad.  
“You don’t have to ask”, he whispered.  
(Y/N) reached out towards his chest, but she paused within inches of contact, as insecurities started to make her doubt. What was she thinking?  
Still, her hand carried her onwards, towards his chest.  
Pietro sensed her hesitation and reopened his eyes.  
“What’s wrong?”  
(Y/N) swallowed, utterly overwhelmed.  
“I... I don’t know where to start.”  
Pietro’s gaze warmed. She looked at the girl in front of him.  
He knew that he would never deserve her, not even in a million years, but he was tired of fighting against his heart.  
He wrapped his strong warm fingers around her wrist and drew her palm forwards. He set it on the centre of his chest, right over his heart. He pressed it, as if he was fingerprinting her soul to his.  
“Start here. No one’s ever touched me here the way you have.”

That was the moment.  
They felt it.  
They knew it. His eyes were on her, and her eyes on him. Both of them breathed heavily, watching, tired of waiting.

All the self-control he had been exerting over the past few weeks went down, like water crashing through a broken dam.

The next thing she knew, he had slammed his lips to hers, nearly knocking all wind from her lungs.  
(Y/N)’s body went rigid with surprise as trembles shook her body and a euphoric warmth blossomed within her.  
He pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips, and, at her grant of acces, he delved inside her mouth.

Kissing him was mind-blowing. A passion and need she had never believe she would felt spilled out from her heart, and the warmth of Pietro’s lips on her rushed to every corner of her body.

The kiss obliterated every thought in Pietro’s mind. For the first time in forever, his mind was locked into the present. The worries of the day evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car. His usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended.  
He had no wish for the kiss to end.

Drunk on endorphins his only desire was to touch her, to move his hands through her skin, to whisper into her ear that he loved her.

His soft caress across her waist became more firm, and he savoured her lips and the quickening of her breath that matched his own. All he could focus was on (Y/N). On the soft moan she just made, or the intoxicating feeling of diving head first into an erupting volcano and most of all, the way she tasted, like midnight under a turning galaxy.

“Pietro” he whispered against his mouth.

They both stopped the kiss to look at each other.  
His fingers gently ran up and down her spine, coaxing shivers out of her body. With her cheeks still blushing hotly, she glanced back up into his captivating blue eyes.  
He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. 

(Y/N) watched breathlessly as his eyes studied hers with silent intensity.The swirl of emotions she saw in them made her gasp.  
His warm breath ghosted across her face

“Pietro…” she whispered.

Pietro’s finger hushed her, moving through her bottom lip.

“I love you, (Y/N)” he pressed his hand against her cheek, giving more support to push himself towards her. 

His lips were firmly against hers again, but the kiss remained soft, gentle, slow. She exhaled through her nose, not wanting to let him go.  
He moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her long (H/C) hair, adding more pressure to their lips, deepening the kiss.  
His other hand slide around her waist, pulling her closer to his pine scented body. 

His kisses were then on her shoulders and her hair.

“And I would like to fight evil with you” he whispered against her neck.

(Y/N) chuckled.

“You two, go get a room!” shouted Tony.

Pietro and (Y/N) slowly turned around, realising for the first time that they were not alone.  
All the Avengers were looking at them, some smiling, other with their mouths wide opened.  
Natasha and Steve high fived.  
“I want my 50 dollars, Tony” Bruce whispered.

And, before someone else could say something else, Pietro and (Y/N) disappeared in a gust of wind.  
____________

 

Pietro pushed her against his bedroom’s door.  
He ran his thumb along her jawline and down her throat, his hips pinning her to the wall. He kissed her slowly and with intensity.

Once they both got over the mind-numbing shock and comprehended what was actually happening, they smiled.  
They melted together.  
Every movement of his was somehow perfectly mirrored by her. 

Her heart was pounding so hard she knew he must be able to feel it. Her legs were giving away, but he held her up, pushing her harder against the door.

They remained still for a moment.  
(Y/N) grabbed a handful of his silver hair, remembering all the times she'd dreamed of doing it. She let her hand drift down his back and pulled him even closer to her.  
His hand caressed her leg, behind her knee, drawing it to him. 

“You know... since I met you, I always had a dream. I was a cat and you were a red dot. And even those time I caught you, we couldn’t touch. But still, I chased you anyway…” 

(Y/N) let her happiness soak right into her bones. It was a feeling that she never wanted to end.

Pietro closed his eyes and savoured the moment.  
He looked at her, cheeks flushed and her (H/C) hair tousled, her long grey dress... She was so beautiful that it made his soul ache. He always wished desperately that he could paint her in that moments and immortalize that look in her eyes. There was a softness and fieriness in them...  
But not even the best painter would be able to capture her on a canvas.

She placed a small and delicate kiss in his lips.

“I bet you didn’t see it coming” she whispered, smiling.

 

“I didn’t see you coming”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So... I've got in mind more chapters about the trainings, new missions, the new relationships and so on...  
> Would you like me to continue writing this story?
> 
> Comments are better than dancing slowly with Pietro!
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	12. Curiosity killed the cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I finally ended this chapter sooner than expected! YAY!  
> So, "Never let me go" continues!! ^^
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Pietro opened his eyes.

He observed through his window how the watery daylight pushed back at the darkened edges of dawn, reclaiming the colours of day that had been washed into grey by the moonlit night. The world came back like a freshly developed photograph, every colour bright and new.  
And so did his memories...

(Y/N) was laying nestled against him, her hair tickling his face.

An utter happiness spread throughout his body.  
He wondered why people tried to find happiness in the most hidden places or eccentric activities. In that moment, happiness for him was holding her in his arms, knowing he was holding the whole world.

He stroke her lightly, to make sure he wasn't dreaming, that (Y/N) wasn't just a vision of his fanciful mind.  
He sighed in relief when his fingers touched her body and a tingling sensation burned through them. He continued caressing her body, her lips, her cheeks, her (H/C) wild hair… trying to memorise every single detail.

She had a peaceful and adorable sleepy semblance.

Poets often describe love as an emotion that people can’t control, one that overwhelms logic and common sense. And that’s what it was like for him. He hadn’t planned on falling in love with her, and he doubted if she had planned on falling in love with him...  
But once they met, it was clear that neither of them could control what was happening. And something rare and beautiful was created.  
For Pietro, all that emotions were new, distant reminiscences of his past, and he tried to sear in his memory every minute he spent with her.

Like last night…  
______  
{Last night}

Her nail dig into his back as he trailed his lips down the edge of her chin, down the centre of her neck. He kept kissing it until he reached her silver dress.  
(Y/N) let out a small gasp as Pietro kissed all around the neckline, just enough to tease.

But if Pietro was trying to tease her, she would make it difficult for him to win.

She pressed her body against his as she brushed her lips with his. Staring into his eyes, she slid her tongue across his bottom lip.  
He drew a deep, staggered breath in response to the wave of heat he felt flushing through him.

(Y/N) closed her eyes, and when she opened them just a second after, she was laying on the mattress of his bed, with Pietro on top of her.

He slid his hands up her body and cradled her face with his hands. He sucked her lips gently, as though he was sampling nectar on a delicate petal.  
With an intense urgency, he dipped his tongue past her lips, caressing her tongue with his.

A deep moan escaped from their mouths.  
She could feel her body responding to his, trying to get closer to him.

Pietro pulled back a little from the kiss and looked at her.  
He was breathing heavily.

“(Y/N)…” he whispered, as if asking a question.

(Y/N) understood it. She was also feeling it.  
But she was afraid. Afraid of doing that... afraid of taking things too fast, as if it would ruin every little moment. It was like stepping out into the darkness when she had a world of light and warmth behind.  
Was she prepared?

“Pie… Pietro” she stuttered, “I... I really want to, but…” she turned her face so that he didn’t see how she desperately tried to hide her insecurities and fears. But she couldn’t control the tremor in her voice.

Pietro cupped her face and approached it to his. He was smiling warmly.

“Hey, (Y/N). You don’t have to be scared. I also want to take things slow... to savour every tiny and little moment with you. In fact, I was going to ask you if you could spend the night over here” he whispered into her ear.

(Y/N) smiled as a wave of happiness and relief travelled through her body. Her fear disappeared as she got lost in his electric blue eyes.  
She kissed his neck.  
Waves of pleasure run through Pietro’s body. She kissed his way gently up his neck to taste his lips. Pietro closed his eyes and breathed her perfume.

“Printsessa…” he groaned, “Right now, you’re tempting greatly my self-control…”

(Y/N) stopped and looked at him, a cheeky smile playing in her lips.

“Then… I should go to my bedroom…” she feigned a sad sigh.

But Pietro’s hands grabbed her wrists before she could even think about moving them.

“Oh no, printsessa, you won’t. I’m warning you that I plan to sleep with you in my arms all night long…”  
________

(Y/N)’s eyes opened slowly, awaken by the light entering through the window.  
Pietro smiled. She stared at him in confusion, blinking away the last remnants of her dream, her eyelashes brushing against his cheek.

“Morning, Printsessa” Pietro whispered.

(Y/N) smiled and nuzzled into his shoulder, his silver hair inches from her nose. She could smell his Pietro-like smell, which was too good for words...

After some minutes, she looked at him with drowsy eyes.  
In that moment, she noticed that they were on top of the blankets, and that he was only wearing his blue boxers, while she was wearing one of his shirts. Not that she hadn’t noticed last night... but the sight of his sculptural body left her aghast… again.  
She allowed herself to enjoy the handsomeness that was Pietro.

He noticed her staring and asked, “What?”

“As if you don’t know... You’re not the type of guy that a girl gets tired of looking at…” she replied cheekily.

“Oh, well… in that case you’re welcome to look all you want” he replied, gesturing to himself. “You’re allowed to touch, too” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, caressing her cheek.

“I was hoping you’d say that” (Y/N) lowered her voice into her sexy-husky range.

With her flirtiest look she leaned closer to him and rubbed her hand slowly up his torso… reaching his shoulders.  
Then, she pinched him firmly.

“OW!” Pietro rubbed his shoulder and grinned, “Not what I had in mind…”

(Y/N) laughed and raised her arm to pinch him again. But Pietro caught her wrist and her laugh caught in her throat. A mischievous grin curved his mouth as he hold her other hand before she could pinch him again.  
He gently pinned her arms above her head as he straddled her hips.

He kissed her softly in the lips. She opened her mouth and he slipped his tongue inside. But, suddenly, he pulled back.

(Y/N) moaned, disappointed by his sudden stop.

“(Y/N) 1, Pietro 1” he whispered into her ear.

“Hmpf…” she groaned.

Pietro laughed and, leaving her wrists free, she pulled her closer in a hug, tucking his nose in her hair.

“I think…” he said, “…my heart is going to explode”.

And (Y/N) wished, more than ever, that she knew how to capture moments like that one and revisit them forever.

Because that…

 

That was everything.  
________________  
“Morning, lovebirds” greeted Tony as Pietro and (Y/N) entered in the kitchen.

Tony, Wanda, Natasha and Bruce were having breakfast. Natasha and Wanda smiled at each other confidentially as they saw Pietro surrounding (Y/N)’s waist.

“Where are the others?” asked (Y/N), ignoring Tony, who kept wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Sleeping, probably” replied Bruce. He was observing Wanda, Natasha and Tony, who were arching their brows and clearing their throats provocatively.

“Well, I bet Clint is preparing his malefic plan on how to murder Pietro and make it look like an accident” added Tony cheekily.

Pietro frowned and looked at Tony. He seated on the chair in front of him.

(Y/N) was looking for two mugs to prepare their coffees. Fortunately, she had her back to the group, so they didn’t see how a deep shade of red spread through her cheeks while she tried to contain her giggles.  
But Natasha suddenly appeared next to her.

“So…?” she whispered meaningfully.

“Not what you are thinking, Romanov” (Y/N) said, trying to hide her blush as she poured milk in the coffee.

“Did you used what I put into your purse?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?” (Y/N) replied.

“I want details, darling” Natasha demanded impatiently.

“We all want details!” exclaimed Tony, who had heard Natasha, “Was the sex good?”

(Y/N) turned around and looked surprised at Tony. Pietro’s eyes were wide opened. The cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest blush.

“Oh, by the way you two blush I bet you didn’t do it… or maybe it was too good?” he doubted.

Natasha, who was trying to contain her laughter, looked again at (Y/N) and Pietro’s expressions. She finally doubled herself up and burst into a loud harsh cackle of laughter, followed by Tony, Wanda and Bruce.

“Oh my god, Tony, you had to ask?” laughed Bruce.

“There’s a lot of money at stake, Bruce” replied Tony.

“What?!” (Y/N) was astonished. 

She couldn’t believe Tony. Had they made bets about her sexual life?  
She glared at Tony, frozen to the spot, weighting the pros and cons of the various and creative means available for exacting revenge. 

But Pietro was quicker than her.

“And what did you bet?” asked Pietro in a cocky tone.

“I bet 50$ you two wouldn’t do it” Tony grinned.

“Well, the sex was truly amazing” Pietro replied, throwing his arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders and kissing her forehead tenderly, “You wouldn’t believe it, Stark…the things she does…” he sighed dramatically, closing his eyes as if he was remembering that awesome sex they didn’t had.

(Y/N) looked at him with her eyes wide opened and deeply embarrased, not knowing what to expect anymore.

“Not something I want to hear about” Bruce shook his head.

Tony stopped laughing and looked at Pietro fixedly, examining his eyes, trying to look for an evidence against the truthfulness of what Pietro had just said.  
Pietro stood still, looking steadily at Tony with his best “I had sex” smile.

After some minutes of tense silence, while everyone looked at them impatiently, Tony whacked the table.

“Dammit” he whispered as he stood up and exited the door.

(Y/N) looked at Pietro, who winked at her cheekily as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Didn’t see that coming?”

 

Damned silver-haired Sokovian.  
______________

Pietro opened the door.  
Wanda was standing on the other side. The corners of her mouth lifted up into a smile, which widened into a brilliant grin.

“So…?” she asked, arching her eyebrow.

Pietro laughed as Wanda stepped into his room. She looked around and saw his wardrobe’s doors opened and some clothes on the floor.

“What are you doing?” Wanda asked.

“Looking for something for today’s training” he replied.

Wanda stared at Pietro again, her grin eternally stained to her lips.

“So…?” she repeated.

Pietro smiled at her. His smile was the same one he used when greeting their Mama’s dinner party guests when they were toddlers: a timid and subtle smile.

“We… We’re dating” he said slowly, savouring that words and their meaning.

Wanda walked slowly and pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him. Her embrace was warm, big and protective. Pietro squeezed her back, enjoying the hug.

“Are you happy?” Wanda asked.

In that moment a strong thought came around Pietro’s mind. She couldn’t help but hearing it: “I think… my heart is going to explode…”

Wanda smiled against his chest.

“I like her” she whispered.

Pietro nodded happily. Knowing that Wanda, one of the most important persons of his life, agreed with his decision warmed his skin like the rays of an early summer sun.

“Just one thing Pietro…” she continued.

The slowly pulled away from their embrace.

“Do not rush things. And always remember what mama told us: love is about appreciation, not about possession” Wanda stated.

“I know that Wanda… Why are you telling me this?” Pietro arched his brow, confused.

“I know first-hand that you can sometimes become really overprotective” she replied.

Pietro was about to reply, when Wanda hushed him placing her hand over his mouth.

“Just one more thing” she continued, while Pietro looked at her with an annoyed pout, “About Clint…”

Pietro’s expression changed. Now, he had a concerned semblance.

“Last night, when you two left, he got really angry... Thor had to put his hammer into his lap so that he couldn’t follow you two...” Wanda said.

“But I would never hurt his sister” Pietro groaned exasperated.

“I know that, Pietro, but Clint doesn’t… So try to make him understand it.”

Pietro nodded with resignation.

“And, if I were you, I’ll do that soon… because… he is one of our mentors” Wanda said softly.

“What?!”  
______________

(Y/N) was heading towards the training room. She passed through the living room, where she had left her bottle of water.  
As she grabbed it she noticed that Steve was on the sofa, watching the TV.

“Cap, what are you doing here? The training is about to start!” (Y/N) was surprised. 

Steve used to go to the training room fifteen minutes before everyone arrived in order to prepare the next session.  
But he continued looking at the TV and gestured (Y/N) to approach.

(Y/N) did so. She seated on the sofa next to Steve. He was watching the news. A reporter was talking about an imminent heat wave.  
(Y/N) was about to ask Steve what was so surprising about a heat wave when he said:

“Wait a moment…”

Then, he suddenly pointed at the TV, “There it is!”

The reporter was now talking about a kidnapping. Next to her appeared a photo of an old man. His brown eyes were weary with the burden of work and seemed to be extremely small due to the brown pebble glasses he wore. He was bald and his beak nose stood out in his face. His lips were just a pink, thin line.

“This is Andrei Ivanov. A few minutes ago we informed you about his possible kidnapping. Right now, the police has confirmed it.  
Ivanov was kidnapped this morning at his house in Saint Petersburg.

Andrei Ivanov is the owner of the biggest pharmaceutical enterprises in Russia: “Sercorp”. He is a well-known pharmacologist that has devoted his time to finding new and more effective formulas for his medicines, which have been able to cure commons and strange illnesses that couldn’t be treated before.

Right now, the most probable hypothesis about his kidnapping is about money. We are refering to the amount of money that the criminals would ask in exchange of his freeing. The police also informed the press that it could have been a robbery which got complicated and ended with Andrei Ivanov as a hostage.”

Steve turned off the TV. He stared at (Y/N), who was still looking at the black screen.  
(Y/N) knew immediately that there was something else, something terribly wrong with that piece of news. That’s when she realised of something:

“My sleeping pills are from Sercorp Industries” she exclaimed, remembering the strange logo of the box.

“Do you feel it, (Y/N)?” asked Steve, looking at the TV.

She did. Her intuition told her something was wrong. But, what could be wrong with a simple kidnapping?

“It’s just that… it seems strange… I don’t know, it may be just a normal kidnapping” Steve got up off the sofa and helped (Y/N) to stand up. 

“It’s just old ghosts from the past…” he muttered.

(Y/N) didn’t understand him, “Old ghosts from the past?”

“It’s just that... it reminded me of some other kidnappings that happened when Hydra was still active… but, as I said, it’s all old ghosts of the past” he concluded.

Steve changed of subject and they talked about some other trivial things as they went to the training room.

But (Y/N) didn’t forget about the kidnapping. She knew that nothing comes unannounced, but many things can miss the announcement. Consequently, it was very important to actually listen to one’s intuition rather than driving through it.

And her intuition advised her to ask Helen Cho about Sercorp.

______________

“Your training will consist of three parts.  
The first one is the physical training. We will help you to gain strength, flexibility, endurance, speed and we will teach you fighting techniques.  
The second part is about weapons. Even though you may not need them due to your powers or armours, is always good to know how to use a gun, a bow or some other weapon. It could save your life.  
Last but not least we have your powers or armours: part three. We will teach you to control them. This will be the most difficult part, as it will require great control and ability. Not only physical, but also mental.  
Tony and Bruce are at the moment at the labs, working on new fighting-clothes for you three” Steve pointed at (Y/N), Pietro and Wanda.

“Sam, (Y/N) and Rhodey, as you three have already been training with us or with the army, you’ll be together during the first part of the training. You’ll be with Steve” explained Natasha, “Wanda and Vision will be with me”.

Wanda and Vision nodded in agreement.

“And what about me?” asked Pietro.

In that moment, Clint entered in the room. He looked fixedly at Pietro as he approached Steve and Natasha. 

“I will train you, Pietro”, he said slowly.

Pietro observed how Clint’s eyes narrowed, and he knew from the dark, burning glare that he was angry.  
Very angry.  
If only looks could kill…

Pietro tried to hide his emotions. He could control the tremor in his voice to a degree. He could consciously will his body movements to be less stilted. He could make himself smile somewhat even if it looked pasted on.

But he could not control the gale of thoughts that came into his mind.

“Try to make him understand what we talked about” he heard Wanda’s voice in his mind.

(Y/N) took hold of his hands, pressing it tenderly, and gave her brother a warning look.

Sam and Rhodey were trying to keep a straight face, although some giggles escaped from their mouths.

“Now you’ll understand why none of us has dared to ask (Y/N) out” whispered Sam teasingly.

“Shut up, Sam” reprehended (Y/N).

“And we will start the training now” finished Clint.

Pietro gulped. 

“Didn’t see that coming?” added Clint.  
____________  
{That afternoon; Moscow (Russia)}

The tall and blond boy entered in the room. He looked around again, trying to memorise every single detail. 

The windows were caked in grime and for the most part boarded up, leaving only the slimmest of slithers for the rays to struggle though. Where there was still glass it was grey with the grime of several decades. The other source of light was the computer screen of the man seated in front of him, which flashed lights into the gloom, but, for all the good it did, the room remained stubbornly dark.

On the ceiling, there were several candles blundered into dusty cobwebs.

There was a flash of brown fur at his feet and he observed with repulsion how several rats dived for cover under the old and broken sofa, covered by ages of dust piling up on the corner of the room.

Apart from the sofa, the only furniture in that room was an old table and a chair, wore out by time, making creaking noises each time the man pressed a key of the computer.

But, after all, that room was not the most terrible part of the house. 

It was him. 

The man standing behind the computer screen rose his head, looking at the young boy.  
The boy gulped as the man observed him with cold and crafty eyes, twinkled with a sadistical glee.

“He is here, Mr. Dorokhov” the blond boy whispered, looking at his feet and the dust of the floor.

“Make him enter” he said with a deep voice.

“Yes, Mr. Dorokhov” replied the boy.

Dorokhov observed attentively as the young boy disspeared through the door and how, some seconds after, a men came into it.

The blond boy closed the door. The visitant was completely covered with a coat, a hat and a scarf, and the darkness of the place hadn’t help him to caught a glimpse of that new man. 

That visitor was like bread for the hungry mind of the blond boy in that lonely place.  
His mother used to tell him, “Curiosity killed the cat”, but people always forgot the rest of the saying: "Satisfaction brought it back”.  
Moreover, he had already done that before and nothing had happened.  
So he approached slowly his ear to the old door, trying to listen what that mysterious man wanted to say to Mr. Dorokhov.

“So, you’re the famous Baron Zemo?” asked Dorokhov with a mocking tone. 

“Am I famous? What for?” asked the stranger, feigning interest.

“After Baron von Strucker’s death, the surviving elements of Hydra broke into numerous factions that began to operate independently. Hydra went from bad to worse… And you are the heroe we have all been waiting for. The person who wants to reunite that factions under his own leadership to renew the campaing against SHIELD. Aren’t you famous for that?” Dorokhov’s voice was filled with disbelief and mockery.

“Good summary, Dorokhov. And, as you’ll know, I’ve come here to talk to you about a possible alliance between the faction you control, the Russian faction, and the new Hydra I’m creating.”

“Why would I join you? You're such a hypocrite... Why would I even hear your offer?”

"Because you would like my offer."

“What do you have that could make me interested in joining your new "Hydra"? How do you pretend to defeat SHIELD and the Avengers?! Their members are enhanced and right now, Hydra doesn’t even have a scepter!”

“Dorokhov… Have you heard about Andrei Ivanov?”

“Isn’t him that man from the news? What does he have to do with this?”

The tall boy got closer to the door.  
That’s when he heard the gun firing.

A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout his body. His stomach ached, his arms lost tension and his legs began to weaken.

“But, first of all, you should teach your workers not to eavesdrop on other people's conversations…” Baron Zemo said as he opened the door and got closer to the blond boy.

The young boy dropped to the ground. His tongue was soaked with the taste of blood. He grabbed his chest in a futile attempt to stop the blood coming out from his wound.  
His head was pounding.

“Little boy, didn’t your mother tell you that curiosity killed the cat?” said Zemo as he placed his finger next to the trigger.

 

The second bullet hit the young boy in his heart, propelling him backwards in an awkward position.  
For a few seconds he looked up at the old ceiling, as if trying to memorise its details one last time.

Then, the black waves folded over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So... Did you like the new chapter?^^  
> I know there are some new names, but you'll get used to them soon... I got Baron Zemo from Captain America's comics, but his storyline over here would be a bit different.
> 
> Next update will take me a bit longer, because I've got an important exam on the 25th (an english exam!). So (probably) I won't be able to update after that exam.
> 
> Comments are better than sleeping with Pietro ;)
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	13. Full of energy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the long update, guys!  
> But... at last I finished my exams!^^ So here goes Chapter 13!
> 
> REMINDER!!: The reader's power is to use her own energy to heal or to throw energy blasts, which leaves her exhausted, as she uses her body's energy! 
> 
> (Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part)  
> Enjoy!!

“Are you sure about it?” he asked.  
“If you want to run away, just say it” she answered. A mischievous grin played on her lips.  
“Get prepared”  
______________  
[Didn’t see that in the cards?, Hans Zimmer]

He moved.  
(Y/N) jerked back, aside. The blow meant for her jaw whizzed by in a blur of knuckles. From the corner of her eye, she saw his other arm begin an upward trajectory. She ducked this time, and felt her hair ruffle with the force of it.  
Drop to the floor. Roll clear, stand.  
Don’t let him connect. Draw it out.  
(Y/N) charged with a fierce roar. He sidestepped and whirled to face her.  
He avoided one of her flying fists, only to collide with another. (Y/N)’s blow glanced off his ribcage, a sharp sting fading past.  
He grinned and jabbed immediately at her midsection.  
Block. Shove away. Back off.  
Avoidance was simple, but it couldn’t last forever.  
(Y/N) went on the offensive. She lashed out, aiming for his opponent’s gut. But he proved equally effective at defence, and her fist met his forearm.  
Then, he went on the offensive. His first punch glanced (Y/N)’s chin. She noticed too late that it was a feint, though, when the second punch doubled her over and made her expel the last bit of choked air.  
She was about to throw another punch when a gust of wind pushed her against a wall, far away from her opponent.  
(Y/N) met Pietro’s eyes. His cerulean eyes swept over her like a cold midwinter breeze. She could see herself in them, her shallow frame in his frozen irises that felt like ice and glass.  
He looked at her with an angry and worried semblance, placing his hands on the exact point where her opponent had punched her.  
“Does it hurt?” he whispered.  
“Hey, (Y/N), I know we just talked about powers not being allowed, but I thought that protective boyfriends were also included” shouted Sam from the other side of the room.  
He was drenched in sweat. It soaked the clothes on his back like a map of some foreign land.  
“You have punched her!” exclaimed Pietro angrily, turning around to face Sam.  
“Well, your “little princess” agreed to fight. Should I throw roses to her instead of punches?”  
A loud growl came from Pietro’s throat.

He was training with Clint when he heard the noises. Loud bumps and crashes. He stopped training and sped off the room, followed by his mentor. He had been wandering around the floor until he could identify the place from where the sound came from: the living room.  
When he entered he saw the chairs and tables all over the floor. The sofas were upside down on the other side of the room and, in the middle of that chaos, he found (Y/N) and Sam fighting fiercely.

“You call this a fight? Isn’t it more like “let’s see who dies first”?” He yelled, gesturing towards the living room.  
“Oh, come on Pietro! It was beginning to get interesting!” said Natasha.  
She was observing the fight from one of the walls with Tony, Bruce, Wanda, Vision and Steve.  
(Y/N)’s arms surrounded Pietro’s waist. He turned around slowly.  
“Hey, Pietro” whispered (Y/N), cupping his face, “I’m alright, but now I need to finish this fight and beat Sam’s ass” she whispered and gave him a quick kiss on his lips.  
“Go for it, (Y/N)!” shouted Clint joyfully while the others Avengers laughed.  
(Y/N) pulled away from their embrace and approached Sam.  
Wanda stared at Pietro as he moved next to them. His jaw was clenched and his hands were in a fist. She took his hand and pressed it tenderly. He was focused on (Y/N)’s blocks.  
Sam pinned her down to the ground.  
Wanda looked at her brother. His temper was a simmering pot, slow burning, and ready to bubble up and punch Sam at any moment.  
But then, (Y/N) managed to shove her elbow up and hit Sam smack in his nose. Pietro sighed with relief as his lips curled into a small grin.  
That was his printsessa.  
“Is this usual?” Wanda asked, pointing at the fight.  
“One fight per week” Natasha whispered, looking fixedly at (Y/N) and Sam, “Just to make the training more interesting.”  
_____________  
{Moscow, Russia}

“I won’t do that” he whispered.  
He looked at his captor through his brown pebble glasses.  
“NEVER!” he hissed.  
His captor threw his body weight behind the fist that hit his jaw with such force that blood pooled into his mouth.  
Pain erupted from the point of impact.  
“NEVER!” he spat blood at the floor.  
His captor stared at him with cold and inexpressive eyes.  
“Andrei Ivanov… I don’t want to hurt you… but you have to collaborate with me” he explained.  
“I will never collaborate doing that atrocity for your new Hydra! NEVER!” shouted Andrei.  
He closed his eyes, expecting a jolt of pain from another punch.  
But it didn’t come...  
He opened his eyes hesitantly and saw that his captor was showing him a photo.

On the photo appeared a young woman. She was sitting on a chair in her house, reading a magazine. Her eyes, like the indigo ocean, were pools of iridescent blue, sculpted upon her creamy face like dazzling jewels. Strands of molten gold tumbled out of her scalp, cascading down her back like a waterfall. Cherry lips, crystal white teeth… She had a focused and adorable expression…

Susan.

“A truly beautiful sight to behold” whispered the man, throwing away the photograph.  
“Where is she? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?! SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!” yelled Andrei.  
A burning rage hissed through his body like a deathly poison. It was like a volcano erupting, fury sweeping off him like ferocious waves.  
“A bit cliché, isn’t it? Andrei Ivanov is in love with his secretary... Does she even knows?” said the man mockingly.  
Andrei’s rage was screeching a demanded release in the form of violence.  
“She’s okay… for the moment. We’ve got her under surveillance. If you want her to be safe and sound, you know what to do... And you have one week” stated his captor.  
Wrath and fear consumed him, engulfing his moralities and destroying the boundaries of loyalty.

Susan…

She was in danger because of him…  
He couldn’t let anything happen to her…He would never be able to forgive himself if something occurred…  
“If you want to reconsider your opinion, ask that guards for Baron Zemo” he said, pointing at the two enormous and armed guys who were standing at the door.  
His captor exited the room.  
But Andrei Ivanov could hear his laugh.

A cruel, cold cackled that froze him in his spot and drained all hope, dreams and feelings from within him, replacing them with a feeling of despair, hopelessness and most of all…fear.  
_____________  
[Elastic heart, Sia]

(Y/N) plopped into the sofa, next to Pietro.  
He wrapped one of his arms around her torso and pulled her closer. With his other hand he held her forearms. On each of them there were great purple welts –due to her fight against Sam- that would only deepen over the coming week.  
He placed a tender kiss on them.  
(Y/N) smiled at him and encircled his waist, lolling her head to his shoulder.  
The other Avengers took their seats on the sofas, laughing and talking.  
“Wanda, your food was delicious. I’m honoured to have tasted your chocolate cookies. I will tell our cookers in Asgard about them” Thor nodded approvingly, rubbing his stomach.  
Wanda blushed and smiled shyly. She had learnt that recipe from her mama and that was the first time she did them since she was a toddler...  
“Then, you’ll have to come back soon to try them again” Steve replied, winking at Wanda.  
“I will come back, my friends, but right now I need to return to Asgard… Too many infinite stones are appearing lately, and I’m afraid it may not be a simple coincidence…” he murmured reflectively.  
“Hey guys, we’re not giving Thor this “goodbye party” to talk about important and Asgardian things!” said Tony, causing everybody to chuckle.

In that moment, Nat and Bruce entered in the room with some glasses and a bottle with an amber liquid.  
They placed the glasses on the table and began pouring the whiskey in them. Everyone eyed the amber liquid and the golden glow of the glass-like cubes.  
Tony swirled the whiskey in his glass, listening to the chinking of the ice cubes, breathing in the fragrance that only years in an oak barrel could achieve.  
“Great choice, Romanov!” he whispered, taking a sip of it.  
“I chose it, Tony!” replied Bruce with a pout.  
“Hey! Truth or dare! Who’s in?” exclaimed Natasha, sitting on the sofa next to Thor.  
A mischievous grin played on her lips.  
The intention behind that perking lips wasn’t something that could easily be ensured…  
Truth or dare…Playing that game with Natasha was like signing a contract were you either agreed to reveal your dirtiest secrets on each truth or accepted to make a fool of yourself on each dare.  
It was rather better to be insured… and to hope that the drinks would make everyone's memories blurred.  
“Really, Nat?” said Clint, who had just entered in the room.  
He seated next to (Y/N) and Pietro, making both of them a bit uncomfortable as he stared at them cuddling.  
Tony tried to keep a straight face but end up laughing.

Everybody knew that (Y/N) had already talked with her brother about her new boyfriend. After some time (and some help from Natasha that involved threatens related to a green bow), (Y/N) had managed to convince Clint to cease his attempts to murder Pietro. But that didn’t mean an instant acceptance from Clint, and every single time he saw them together, cuddling or kissing, he tried to stop them by looking at them fixedly or whatever he thought of.

“Not funny, Tony” hissed Clint.  
“Alright!” said (Y/N), grabbing everyone’s attention. She pointed at Steve: “Truth or dare, Cap?”  
Steve grinned and examined (Y/N)’s face.  
“I’ll go with dare” he replied.  
“Steve Rogers, you have to include a swear word in every sentence you say tonight” (Y/N) could saw the surprise registered on his face before he could hide it.  
“No way…” Steve whispered.  
(Y/N) looked at him warningly.  
“I mean… no fucking way” Steve sighed.  
Everybody began laughing uproariously. It was a laughter that everyone could feel in their lungs, so hard that it took their breath away. But the lack of oxygen didn’t matter. Any worries from the past few days melted like snowballs in a microwave.  
“And you kiss your mother with that mouth, Rogers?” said Tony, imitating Fury.  
“You’re so… fucking funny, Tony” hissed Steve.  
(Y/N) took a sip of her drink, feeling the keen burn on her tongue and throat.  
Steve pointed at Tony: “You bastard!” everybody tried to keep a straight face, “Truth or dare?... Dammit!”  
“I should record this” said Tony, unable to stop laughing, “Dare, Rogers, I want a fucking dare!!”  
“So… Sam told me the other day about a dance called twerking... I’m not sure what it is about, but I want a demonstration… you motherfucker!”  
Everybody looked at Steve with wide eyes.  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cap…” whispered (Y/N).  
“No way, Stark!” shouted Bruce as Tony stood up and left his glass on the table.  
“Really Steve? Twerking?” whispered Sam.  
“I don’t know what that twerking is about” Thor said confidentially to Natasha.

…

And Thor finally knew what was that dance about.  
If someone had been there, they wouldn’t have known how to describe the team’s reaction.  
Some of them doubled themselves up and burst into a loud harsh cackle of laughter, ending on the ground with tears on their eyes. Others looked away, making calculations of how long would that image hunt them during their sleep. And the rest… just observed the dance with a shocked expression.  
Pietro’s laugh was like a thunder; it was a low, rumbling boom. He placed his hands over (Y/N)’s eyes.  
“Sorry, printsessa, but I can’t let you see that. It’s to ensure your safety” Pietro chuckled, causing (Y/N) to giggle.  
(Y/N) always said she hated her laugh, but every time Pietro heard her giggling through her nose, snorting adorably, he fell a little more in love with her. Her giggles were like a brook flowing merrily through a well-lit wood.

After that dare the team continued the game, although it became more like a “dare or dare” game.  
The next dare was for Sam, who had to close his eyes while Bruce did his make-up.  
Have you ever seen the thick makeup clown’s wear? The red, bright smile that makes their mouths huge… The bluish hue that makes them all paler… Each eye on the centre of dark circles… Well… That was an understatement compared to Sam’s makeup.  
Tony managed to take some snapshots, while Sam looked at everyone with demented eyes saying: “Why so serious?”  
“I got that reference! He is imitating the Joker, isn’t him?” asked Steve to Nat, who looked at him warningly.  
“Damn!” Steve whispered.

On the next dare, Pietro had to run around with heels. He tried to keep balance, but failed miserably, which resulted in several falls and bumps against the walls.  
“How can you girls wear this?” he muttered, gesturing towards Nat’s high heels as Tony tried to take some photos of him.  
But when he was about to press the camera’s button, Pietro took off Nat’s heels and sped off to the sofa, sitting next to (Y/N), who was laughing uncontrollably.

“(Y/N)!” shouted Nat “Truth or dare, sweetie?”  
“If you chose truth, she’ll ask you for details about what happened at the party” said Wanda’s voice in her mind.  
“Thanks, Wanda” she thought.  
“I’ll go with dare” replied (Y/N), taking another sip of her drink, getting ready for what was about to come. She knew by Nat’s mischievous grin that she still wanted details from that night, and that she wouldn’t let her get away easily.  
“I want you to give us a sexy dance!” Nat shouted.  
Everybody began to whistle and laugh.  
“No way!” said Pietro and Clint at the same time.  
“I see you’ve got a brain after all, Speedy” hissed Clint.  
Pietro replied with a groan.  
“I’m not doing that, Nat” (Y/N) felt her cheeks on fire.  
“Then maybe truth?” she whispered teasingly.  
But choosing truth would be like throwing away all the efforts she had done trying to convince Clint of Pietro’s good intentions.  
“You’ll never be able to reach my level of sexiness at twerking, but you could try” Tony laughed.  
(Y/N) sighed as she stood up. She began to swirl, moving her hips seductively while her hair whirled wildly across her shoulders. Her movements flowed with a dazzling grace. Then, she took off her jacket and threw it towards the sofa, leaving her blue tank top in view.  
The jacket landed on Steve’s lap, whose cheeks became the colour of a bad sunburn.  
Pietro began to growl. He had noticed how every guy in the room observed his girlfriend. All their mouths were wide opened as they followed her movements.  
He didn’t like them looking at (Y/N) that way... It made him really angry.  
He was about to take (Y/N) and speed off the room when he saw her approaching.  
(Y/N) winked at him and pressed her lips against his.  
His hands flattened against her back as she kissed him fiercely.  
He clung to her more tightly, knotting his hands in her hair...  
That’s when they heard Clint clearing his throat.  
(Y/N) grinned at the Avengers and said: “Wasn’t that a good and sexy end, Nat?”  
Nat winked at her and nodded in agreement.  
“My movements were sexier. Do not even try to deny it!” exclaimed Tony.  
“I beg to differ, Stark…” Thor laughed.

Wanda looked at her brother and (Y/N). She had been afraid of Pietro’s reaction. That was, after all, a stupid game, and (Y/N)’s dance had been funny and sexy, but not provocative. Nonetheless, she had heard Pietro’s angry thoughts.  
Now, they were definitely more calmed.  
Then, she noticed that (Y/N) was looking at her, a question in her mind.  
“Dare” Wanda replied smiling at her.  
(Y/N) stood up and headed to the minibar on the other side of the room.  
“Well, Wanda, get prepared to drink my new cocktail!”  
“Oh god…” muttered Clint.  
(Y/N) began to choose some bottles and poured them into a big glass placed on a table next to the minibar.  
“Really, (Y/N)? Tequila and Vodka?” groaned Sam.  
(Y/N) laughed and kept on pouring a bit of any bottle that grabbed her attention.  
“Prepare yourself, sister” whispered Pietro, winking at her.  
(Y/N) turned around to get another bottle.  
While she did so, she pushed the glass with her elbow, though she didn’t realise it until she heard the loud crash.  
The glass shattered into pieces against the floor.

From that point on, what (Y/N) remembered was a blur of images and sounds.

She got scared, turning around to see where that loud crash came from. She felt how energy travelled through her body down to her hands.  
It was something usual. Whenever she felt scared or suprised, her energy got together in her hands, just in case she needed to use it.  
It was the same as when someone got scared: their hearts would begin pumping rapidly as the majority of their blood would go to the limbs. Ready to run away at any moment.  
In that cases, energy came down to her hands, but she knew how to control it.  
In fact, it was usually a very little amount of energy.

But that time, she felt a powerful torrent burning through her fingers.  
Before she could even realise about something, energy came out of her hands in the form of a fiery gold ball, billowing outwards and racing against the opposite wall, where the kitchen was.

There was an explosion.  
Window’s shattered.  
A huge noise reverberated over the room as the energy impacted against the wall, creating a huge hole on it.  
Smoke rushed out as thousands of pieces of glass and wood from the chairs near the explosion showered down.

Out of her shock, (Y/N) felt herself issuing amid a mass of terrible sensations: the fearful blow of the explosion, the noise of glass shattered, the hoarse howl of people around her, the rushing steps… but above all, she had a strange sensation…

She was full of energy.

After that energy blast she should have blacked out.  
She used her own energy when she threw that blasts. She couldn't have used so much energy. She didn't have so much energy inside her.

It was at least twice as much energy compared to the one she used to heal Pietro’s wounds.

She saw out of the corner of her eye how Pietro shouted and Steve yelled orders.

(Y/N) looked at her fingers and moved them.  
They were not numb...

 

She was full of energy.  
__________________  
{Moscow, Russia}

“Ivanov is at the lab right now…” Dorokhov stared at Zemo.  
He remained quiet, so Dorokhov continued speaking: “How did you convince him to do it? He’s a man with strong principles…”

Zemo kept observing the snow.  
Intricate patterns of ice floated weightlessly downward from the pure white sky above, each flake swirling and dancing, as an icy wind carried it towards him.

“That’s why he was so easy to convince. He has strong principles…” Zemo replied.  
“So… Now we wait until Andrei finishes his "task"?” Dorokhov asked hesitantly.  
“No, Dorokhov. Our game starts now. I’m going to give our friends a bit of fun…”

“Have you ever been to France, Dorokhov?”  
____________

The buzzer of the extension phone went off like an annoyed rattlesnake. Nat scooped it up, spoke into it, listened for a moment, and handed it to Steve.  
“Fury” she whispered.  
Steve took the phone.  
“She didn’t black out, Rogers?” asked Fury with disbelief.  
“She didn’t… and that was quite an energy blast…” he murmured.  
Steve was worried and intrigued. He had worked with (Y/N) before, and that energy blast should have left her in a vegetative state... or even worse. She had thrown too much energy to have any left inside her...  
He tried to put aside that thoughts...

The more he thought about it, the less he understood.

“Is Helen Cho with her?”  
“Yes, Bruce and Helen are performing some medical tests on her… But (Y/N) is… fine” Steve explained, “She’s fine and she has just blown up the kitchen’s wall! When I trained her, she became exhausted when blowing up a small mannequin!”  
“Didn’t you notice something strange before?” Fury asked.  
“No… Well, she hasn't use her powers since Sokovia… since she nearly died…”  
“Keep me updated, Rogers.”  
“I will” Steve replied.

 

“By the way” said Fury, “Have you ever been to France, Rogers?”  
____________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's it! Did you enjoy it?  
> There are more unexpected things to come...
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro singing ;)
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Love, 
> 
> Alice Maximoff


	14. A stroll down memory lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

A rich velvet blanket of black fell, swallowing up the last rays of sun, draining the colours to grey and then to nothing at all.

It was midnight, but the Avenger’s tower was a hive of activity.

Giving a “goodbye-party” to an Asgard god and ending it with an explosion wasn't something usual, as long as Tony wasn’t the responsible of that explosion.  
But he wasn’t, and all the inhabitants of the Tower were pacing nervously along the hospital wing’s corridor, waiting for news.

The shock and fear from the explosion gave way to relief as Helen Cho announced that (Y/N) was alright: her vital signs were stable and there was nothing to worry about.  
But that huge energy blast was definitely something to worry about, and everybody knew it. Now, the only thing left was to wait for the results of the various tests that Bruce and Helen were doing.

And then, there was the new mission: France.

“You’re not coming, and it’s an order!”

“Oh, come on Steve. I’m fine! F-I-N-E” (Y/N) spell out slowly, as if trying to explain something obvious to a stubborn person.

Steve stared at (Y/N). She was definitely fine, but he couldn’t let her go with them. 

“I’m okay, Steve, don’t look at me like that” she sighed.

“(Y/N), this is not normal” he gestured towards the hospital bed where she was sitting, “For a moment I thought we had lost you… again” his voice broke. He looked at his feet, trying to calm down his emotions.

(Y/N) took his hand and caressed it tenderly. 

“…and I’m not ready to put you in danger, not after what just happened” he concluded.

Deep inside, (Y/N) knew he was right, but she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.  
In her many and varied imaginings of the last few months she had seen herself going on a new mission with her teammates, trying to make things better. She wanted to help, to do something, rather than watching how everybody else did it.

“There will be more missions, (Y/N)” Steve said. He noticed the sparkle in her eyes fade with disappointment.

“Who is going?”

“Natasha, Sam, Tony, your brother and me” he listed.

“Then, you’ll be fine” she smiled.

Steve caressed her wild and (H/C) hair, looking at her tenderly. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead lovingly.  
Then, he turned around and exited the room before (Y/N) could say a word.  
__________________

“And that’s the last test” Bruce said as he removed the last electrode from (Y/N)’s left arm.

(Y/N) smiled at him. Helen and Bruce had been doing medical tests for nearly four hours. They kept moving and fidgeting with several machines and test tubes.  
But, even though they had managed to hide it quite well, (Y/N) knew that they were completely exhausted.

“Thanks god” murmured Helen Cho, “That Maximoff boy is driving me crazy. He has been trying to sneak into this room. And I have already told him that it was prohibited!”

(Y/N) laughed, and when she did, Bruce grinned. They had both been wondering how long it would take Pietro to enter into the room.

“And he kept looking at me with a serious semblance and his arms crossed over his chest, saying that he wanted to see you. Thanks god that his sister managed to calm him down. Well... she pushed him to the wall with that red thing she does” Helen moved her hands, imitating Wanda’s gestures, “But at least he stopped”

Helen gave (Y/N) a white box: “Take one pill. You’ll spend the night over here so we can have you under surveillance”.

(Y/N) took the box. It contained the sleeping pills she took some weeks ago. A green and white logo grabbed her attention.  
Sercorp Industries.

Her curiosity began building like a cat fixated upon its prey. She swallowed one of the pills, thinking how to bring up the topic:

“Helen…Do you know Andrei Ivanov?”

Helen turned around and looked at her surprised.

“Isn’t him that man who was kidnapped?” Bruce asked, "The owner of Sercorp Industries?"

Helen nodded: “We are friends… and I really hope they find him”

“So do I” whispered (Y/N). 

But she needed more of information. Just a bit more.

“How is it that Andrei and you are friends?” she asked.

Helen Cho looked at her suspiciously. 

“You know, it’s something I’ve noticed every time I take a sleeping pill. If someone talks to me about something I fall asleep sooner” (Y/N) lied, smiling at Cho.

“We studied together at university. Andrei is brilliant.” her lips curled up in a sad smile.

“More than you? That can't be possible” Bruce chuckled.

“Even more… If only you knew what he was working on…” Helen whispered.

That was it. That was the information she wanted to know.

“What was he working on?”

Helen Cho looked at a small machine that was emitting a soft beep. She sighed:

“He was working on a way to help people whose physical capacities are decreased, such as people suffering miastemia gravis, severe anemia and so on. Their physical capacities (their energy, strength, flexibility and so on) are so deteriorated that it’s hard for them to live a normal life. He was trying to create pills to improve these capacities…” 

Helen Cho continued talking but (Y/N) began to feel her eyelids getting heavier as a soft buzz sounded in her ears.

“That’s amazing” Bruce nodded approvingly

“It truly is…” (Y/N) whispered. 

What Helen had just said trundled through her brain like a through train, with no intention of stopping. She watched its tail lights, winking in the distance, the trace of it leaving her neurons... There it was! Was there any relationship between Andrei and…

Her eyes closed and in just a few seconds she was deep asleep.  
__________________

Pietro hadn’t sleep a wink. 

His brain was constantly searching for any sign that she was alright, like a cell phone wheeling a signal when a person moves through the mountain.  
But, like the phone, she was out of range, unreachable... deep asleep.

His stomach shifted uneasily. He noticed that the hands that he was hugging himself with were pinching into his skin. He released his hands but couldn’t figure out what to do with them, so instead, they clasped and unclasped each other as if in constant need of touch and reassurance.

But what he needed was to touch (Y/N), to see her smile, to drink her in by running over her skin. 

He didn’t like that hospital room... Memories from the days after Sokovia threatened to break through his mind.

He tried to focus on something else. He stared at her peaceful semblance. 

Looking at her he knew that, even if he hadn’t been in love with her, he would have loved every beautiful detail of her and would still have wanted her.  
But, even though (Y/N) was attractive, there was something else about her that caught his eye. She was intelligent, he could sense that right away, and confident, too, as if she was able to move through life on her own terms. 

To him, these were the things that really mattered. Without them, beauty was nothing.

“We are leaving in five minutes” a voice whispered.

Pietro turned around and saw Clint leaning on the door frame.

“Alright. Have a good time in France.” he mumbled quietly, not wanting to wake up (Y/N), even though she would have needed a nuclear explosion to notice something around her, “I’ll take care of her”.

“I know you will” Clint smiled and, without giving Pietro any time to reply, he disappeared through the door.

Pietro grinned with satisfaction. 

“The old man likes me.”  
_____________________

(Y/N) smiled. It was already time to wake up but Pietro was snoring softly in her ear.  
When he was asleep he lay as a brick. The only movement was the slight rise and fall of his chest. It was hard to imagine that he was the same boy that tore around and couldn’t stop moving. In sleep, he was angelic, his face fresh as a dew drop, making gentle snuffling sounds.

“Morning Pietro” she whispered, caressing his silver locks.  
______________________

Pietro, Wanda, Vision and (Y/N) took the day off, waiting for the other Avengers to return.

They decided that they would bake some cookies and watch a film. They all wanted a peaceful and relaxing day.

But the cooking became a war of flour. No one knew who started it, but Wanda was sure that Pietro did it.  
He loved messing around and pranking people.  
But, what he didn’t see coming was the full bag of flour that landed smack in his head. (Y/N) was definitely Hawkeye’s sister: she didn’t miss a target.

They all ended up white, even Vision, who looked around, seeing the flour's bags flying across the room, without understanding what the aim of that game was.

 

After a long shower, they all went to the living room to watch a film. They hadn’t baked any cookies but there was plenty of popcorn on the shelves.

“Can I choose the film?” Wanda asked, making a small pout to the other Avengers.

“Of course” Vision and (Y/N) replied.

“I wanted to choose it” Pietro replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, come on Pietro”

“I am twelve minutes older than you” he concluded.

“Oh god. If that’s your better argument then I am chosing the film”

(Y/N) began to giggle while hearing the twin’s discussion. She giggled like a little girl, a thing she did a lot when she felt happy.

Pietro looked at her. He could swear that even the birds shut up to hear her beautiful laughter emerging and filling the air with gorgeous sounds coming from deep her chest.

Wanda tried to keep a straight face while hearing her brother's thoughts: he could be so cheesy.

She finally chose the film. When it ended, (Y/N) noticed how close Wanda and Vision were and she realised that they would probably want some time alone. 

She winked at Wanda and took Pietro outside of the room.

“Where are we going?” he asked, surrounding her waist.

“You’ll see”  
__________________  
[See you again, Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth]

(Y/N) and Pietro went to the terrace of the last floor. 

They laid under the stars, which were like a beautiful and surreal blanket above their heads. It was something you can’t describe or tell anyone about to share the experience, not even something you can capture in a photo. 

(Y/N) pointed at the stars, showing Pietro the tortuous, tattered ban of the Milky Way, with Vega very bright between the sun and earth. And over there were Sirius and Orion, which shone splendid against the unfathomable blackness in the opposite quarter of the heavens. Pietro followed her explanations attentively.

She could feel his heartbeat against the back of her head, and could hear the soft breaths of him by her side. 

Pietro looked at her. The moonlight shone down, a diffuse glow, lighting her focused semblance. Her eyes sparkled as she pointed at other stars.

“My mom used to show us the constellations when we were little…” he whispered, looking again at the dark sky.

(Y/N)’s widened with surprise. 

Pietro didn’t talk about his past, about his family. She knew how that memories could pierce one’s soul and turn people into a broken mess.

The sight of the stars had awakened memories long forgotten, echoes of those long years jarred in his mind.  
He felt suddenly being forced to swim once more in the tides waters of the past. He swam and looked at that memories. They were sharp and cut right through him every time he thought about them… But, for once, he wanted to turn that pages back and dwell on the fine details.

But Pietro knew, deep inside, that he didn’t had the courage to do that. 

Until he looked at (Y/N). She was smiling tenderly and pressing his hand softly. And when her eyes smiled at him, a surge of understanding calmed him down, and gave him the courage he needed… again.

He told her how he always wore his Dad’s rubber boots with four layers of socks rather than his own, how Wanda and his mother splashed in the puddles and laughed when they arrived home completely soaked.

Pietro breathed slowly as he clung to another memory: the most perfect memory of his father.

“I’m playing with him. He’s laughing. He has just arrived from work. He asks me if I want an aeroplane ride and of course I do, what four year old doesn’t? In moments he has my right wrist and ankle. He spins like a shot-putter, but he never lets go. The garden turns into a green blur… And I’m flying, flying until he can spin no more...”

His memory didn’t had any smell or weather. The garden was in fine detail: the crab apple tree, the weeds in the flower beds… But the finest detail was his face, creased with love and his own joy, not only for the ride, but for being with him, for being with his Dad.

“And when he stopped you would always fall down” said Wanda with a soft voice.

She was standing with Vision next to the terrace’s door frame.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks from her wide luminous eyes. But she was smiling, her eyes lost in that memories.

They walked slowly towards (Y/N) and Pietro, sitting next to them.

“And when we went to sleep, Mama would tell us stories so that we didn’t have nightmares” she whispered.

“And when she told us the one of little red riding hood you always got scared when the wolf appeared” Pietro chuckled and Wanda hit him softly in his shoulder. But she was laughing as well.

They continued talking.  
Their stories captivated Vision and (Y/N), who were carried with them to that memories. They laughed at Pietro’s pranks, they smiled when Wanda told them how Pietro and she ate all the chocolate cookies her mother had prepared without anyone noticing… 

(Y/N) closed her eyes. She could see them, the room, the sweet aroma of baked cookies…

“And one thing I’ll never forget was…” Wanda smile sadly, “when they danced together in the living room, her head on his chest… They both had their eyes closed… Pietro and I observed them from the kitchen door, partially hidden so they couldn’t see us”

“They seemed so perfectly happy” whispered Pietro.

“The image of them gently swaying to the music is how I picture love in my mind. Even after all these years” Wanda felt how the weight in her chest lightened.

Vision surrounded her waist and she leaned slowly until her head rested on his chest.

(Y/N) bit her lip, trying to hold back her own tears. That was truly a beautiful memory. 

Pietro was looking at her. She turned and their eyes met. 

He cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers slowly and tenderly.

“I love you” he whispered.

Then, he rested his head in the crook of her neck before she could notice his tears. She hugged him tightly.  
Out of the corned of her eye, she noticed how Vision picked Wanda up bride style and walked slowly out of the terrace.

Pietro closed his eyes and came back from his memories, to that very moment.  
He could feel her head on his chest… They both had their eyes closed.

If you ever find someone like that, someone who you can hold tightly while closing your eyes to the world with, then you’re lucky.

And he was.

Even if it only lasted for a minute.  
_____________

[See you again, Ellen King]

As her consciousness ebbed, her mind went into free fall, swirling with the beautiful chaos of a new dream.

Until a voice woke her up.

“Mrs. Barton” F.R.I.D.A.Y called.

“Yes?” (Y/N) mumbled.

“Mr. Maximoff is a bit agitated. I though you would like to know. He is in his room.”

“Thanks FRIDAY, I’m going”

(Y/N) stood up and headed towards Pietro’s room. She opened the door slowly.

A sliver of moonlight spilled into the room and onto Pietro’s figure. He was laying on his bed. His body was tense and trembled from time to time. 

That’s when (Y/N) realised that he was crying.

“Pietro?” she asked softly.

He didn’t reply. He remained in the same position, trying to control the trembling.

(Y/N) approached the bed and placed her hands in his shoulders. She took one of his hands, which was gripping tightly the pillow.  
She moved his body carefully until his head rested on her lap. His eyes were red and swollen and tears made wet tracks down his face. 

“It’s okay” (Y/N) whispered, caressing sweetly his silver locks.

She began humming an old and relaxing lullaby.

His sobs were stifled at first as he attempted to hide his grief, then, overcome by the wave of his emotions, he broke down entirely, all his defences washed away in those salty tears.

“You can say it” (Y/N) murmured.

His thoughts were thicker than a blizzard.  
Remebering all those things had made him happy, but all those memories hide a painful truth behind them:

“Ya skuchayu po ney…, ya skuchayup po io golosu , yeye smechu , yeye teplych ob"yatiya ...I ona nekogda ne wernjoza... [I miss her… I miss her voice, her laugh, her warm hugs… And she will never come back]” Pietro’s voice broke.

(Y/N) hadn’t understand his words, but she knew what he was talking about. Pietro and Wanda had lost their parents at a young age and Pietro had to take care of Wanda since that moment.  
He had carried a burden that any child should ever carry. He had managed to carry on, to continue living, but sometimes, the sadness and sorrow that has been held inside for a lot of time needs to be released.

“I know” she stroke his trembling back, “You have a stone in your heart, and some days it gets really heavy and there is nothing to be done. But you’re not alone. You will never be alone”

________________  
“Helen” Bruce whispered.

He was looking at a paper that had just came out of the printer.

“The results!” she exclaimed happily, but, when she began reading them her smile faded.

“Oh god”  
______________  
{Paris, France}

Everyone entered into the quinjet.

“Good work” Tony smiled at the team, “That was quite easy, wasn’t it?”

“It was, but at least there’s no more Hydra in France” Sam said excitedly.

Everyone nodded in agreement except for Steve and Natasha. Steve continued thinking that everything had been way too easy, and Natasha was absorbed reading a document.

“What’s that, Romanov?” Tony asked.

Nat showed them the paper.

“I took it from one of the desks. It seems they forgot to burn it, as they did with the other documents.”

Everyone looked at the paper.

There was a photo of a thirty-five or so man. He had prominent cheekbones and a well-defined chin and nose. His face was mostly obscured by a red scraggly beard that clung to his skin like winter ravaged ivy tendrils. 

Below the photo, the Avengers could see the name and location of that mysterious man:

“SERGEI DOROKHOV. HYDRA. RUSSIA.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I swear I'm not crying, something got into my eye... Yeah, that something is called Pietro.  
> I hope you liked the chapter. I really wanted to write something about their childhood memories.
> 
> So... action is about to start!! ;)
> 
> Comments make my day sunny!
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	15. Into the lion's den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, Chapter 15 is here!   
> I know it took a bit longer than usual. I had some problems with my laptop but at last it's here.
> 
> Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part.
> 
> Enjoy!!

[High Hopes, Kodaline]

Slowly and reluctantly, (Y/N) uncovered her face. She blinked, closed her eyes and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrated the window and blinded her. She sat up and rubbed her knuckles onto her eyes.   
She opened them again slowly.   
That’s when she realised that she was in Pietro’s bedroom.  
He was lying down next to her. His now red and tear-rimmed eyes were staring back at her.   
She looked at him with the kindest pair of (E/C) eyes he had ever seen. Lovely eyes, yet somehow gentle, that always held a tiny warmth within them.  
(Y/N) rose her hand to cup his face, but Pietro pulled away and got up off the bed.   
She frowned.  
She got up as well and approached Pietro, who was looking with calmed and emotionless eyes through the window.  
“Pietro...” (Y/N) whispered. She placed her hand in his shoulder, but Pietro remained still.   
“What’s wrong, Pietro?”   
He was acting in a strange way. That was an uncharacteristic behaviour.  
Maybe… after everything that had happened last night he needed some time alone. It had been a really painful moment for him.  
(Y/N) was about to turn around and exit the room when Pietro grabbed her hand.  
She looked at him, surprised. His eyes were tightly closed.  
He took a deep breath and reopened his eyes. They were filled with sadness.  
“Last night I had plenty of time to think about some things” he murmured hesitantly.  
“What have you been thinking about?” (Y/N)’s voice trembled.   
The next words Pietro uttered hurt him as if the bullets Ultron fired were sinking inside him again. But he needed to tell her...  
It was the right thing to do:  
“I’ve been thinking about the things I’ve done since my parent’s death. I volunteered for horrible experiments for the sake of revenge. I wanted Stark’s death so badly… Then I helped Ultron. I helped him to get stronger and to kill thousands of civilians. I also helped him to destroy Sokovia. But, do you know the worst thing? That I dragged Wanda to do the same. And you know what’s even worse? That you nearly died for me” he looked (Y/N) in the eyes, “Everything and everyone who has gotten close to me has ended either hurt or dead.”  
He breathed slowly as he finished: “I can’t bear to think that something similar could happen to you, (Y/N), because I love you so badly. You should be with someone who can give you something better. You should be with someone who deserves you” his voice broke at the end.  
Slow, desolate tears ran from (Y/N)’s unblinking eyes and dripped steadily into her nightshirt: “I can’t believe it”   
“Printsessa, please, don’t cry” Pietro got close to (Y/N) and began to wipe away her tears.  
But (Y/N) pulled apart and looked at him with her eyes wide opened.  
“I can’t believe it” she repeated.  
“(Y/N), I- “, but Pietro couldn’t finish his sentence.  
“What I’m trying to say…” she said, as more tears raced down her cheeks, “…is that I can’t believe it. And I’m crying because I have realised once more the suffering you had to go through, and I can’t believe that you made it out alive. Because I can’t take it!”  
Her tone began to rose: “I can’t bear the fact that this world fucked you up so bad that you can’t believe someone loves you and that you deserve to be loved!”  
“I don’t believe someone like me can deserve you” he whispered.   
He looked at her. He looked at the person who had made him open up when he didn’t want to let anyone in.   
The person that had helped him to breathe when he didn’t want to anymore.   
The person who had helped him see that it was okay to make mistakes, because you could fix them. And she was doing it again in that moment.   
And Pietro felt how all the strength he had gathered that night began to fade.   
And he cursed himself for being so weak, for not being able to stay away from her so that she could be happier. He cursed himself for been so selfish.  
(Y/N) continued shouting: “Let’s make things clear here and now: the one that doesn’t deserve being lucky here is me. And with you I fucking hit the jackpot, so don’t tell me again that you don’t deserve me, because you are a fucking miracle and I thank the universe everyday not only for having you in my life, but for letting you keep going with the shit you had to face alone. And-“  
His lips were against hers, and he kissed her as he had never kissed her before. His hands wrapped around her waist and hers locked around his neck.   
When they broke apart for air, she rested her forehead against his and gathered some much needed oxygen.   
Pietro smiled. There was no looking back. He had fallen in love with that stubborn, fierce and amazing girl.   
There was nothing he could do but love her with every ounce of his body. Fighting against it was like trying to go up a waterfall.  
And in that moment he had to smile, because she brought him joy, something he thought was out of his life once and for all.  
His smile told (Y/N) everything she needed to know and she smiled back, sinking into his hold.  
__________  
(Y/N) and Pietro entered into the reunion room.   
Wanda, Vision, Bruce and Fury were already there.  
Wanda looked at her brother and realised that his eyes were a bit red. Fearful thoughts looped around her mind until there was no room for anything else.  
What had happened?  
“Wanda, he’s now better, don’t worry” she heard (Y/N)’s thoughts.  
Wanda nodded imperceptibly, knowing that (Y/N) would see it. She tried to feel Pietro’s emotions and she sighed in relief when she felt he was calmed. She approached and held his hand tenderly.  
Pietro smiled at her and so did she.   
(Y/N) went next to Fury, giving the twins some time on their own.  
Some minutes after, Tony, Steve, Sam, Nat and Clint entered into the room. (Y/N) and the others run towards them.   
(Y/N) hugged tightly her brother and the other members as Bruce and Wanda asked them about their mission.   
“I wanted to get all of you together so that we could talk about what you five found in France” Fury said when the greetings and sweet welcome words had finished.   
Everyone sat down and Steve began his detailed explanation of everything that had happened. He told them how they entered into the facility, which barely had any security system, and how they managed to capture and stop the people over there.   
Nonetheless, most of them had already burnt all Hydra’s documents, but Nat found one that they didn’t.  
“Quite easy, wasn’t it?” Fury asked.  
“That’s what I thought…” Steve replied pensively.  
“Anyway, I searched for some information about the man in that paper: Sergei Dorokhov.” Fury continued.  
Everyone looked at Fury expectantly:  
“Sergei Dorokhov doesn’t appear in any Russian registers. There isn’t any official information about him.”  
“And what about the non-official information?” Tony inquired.  
“Well, fortunately for you all, I have good contacts” Fury grinned, “His name… Dorokhov…it rang a bell. Then I realised that I had already heard about him thanks to one of my contacts, who works for Aiden Vinton. Does anyone know who Aiden is?”  
Everybody shook their head.  
“He is the owner of an illegal gambling den over here, in New York. His business moves a lot of money. And when I say a lot, I mean it.”  
“Then, what’s our next mission?” (Y/N) asked eagerly.  
Fury smiled at her.  
“We need some more information about Sergei Dorokhov before going after him. And Aiden Vinton could give us that information” Fury replied suggestively.  
“So, you’re planning to dismantle his illegal gambling den, then taking him here and interrogate him?” Steve didn’t seem convinced of Fury’s idea.  
“If the Avengers break into that place and arrest Aiden Vinton, Sergei Dorokhov would get to know what happened. And he would suppose that we are going after him. The surprise factor is vital, Fury” Natasha pointed out.  
Everybody turned to look at Fury, who was smiling at them:  
“That’s why three of you would break into the place dressed up like mobsters of other New York gambling gang. You won’t wear any of your shiny armours, darlings. I want body to body combat. No powers. No trails left that could give all of us away.”  
All the team nodded approvingly.  
“So, who is going?” Tony looked around, “Sorry Vision, you’re out. Too much red, you know…”  
The android chuckled.  
“I want there (Y/N), Natasha and Sam”.  
The three previously mentioned nodded approvingly.  
“No way” said Pietro and Steve at the same time.  
The looked at each other for a moment. Then, Steve continued talking:  
“(Y/N) shouldn’t go” he stated.  
“She has just gone out of the hospital room!” Pietro added.  
Everybody single member of the team began talking about it. Should (Y/N) go to the mission? Voices bubbled endlessly until (Y/N) stood up and looked at Steve and Pietro.  
“Steve, Pietro, I am perfectly fine and-“but she was cut by Bruce.  
“About that… we already have your results.”  
All the Avengers turned to face Bruce. The sudden silence made (Y/N)’s blood as cold as the autumnal air.   
Silence clung to them like a poisonous cloud that at any moment could choke the life from them.  
Bruce gulped: “The tests show that (Y/N)’s cells contain a high amount of energy, higher than it should be. Everything goes back to the days after Sokovia, when Wanda saved (Y/N), putting energy directly into her. But she gave (Y/N) more energy than she needed, and her cells had to adapt to that huge amount of energy by producing more. If they hadn’t adapted they would have died.  
(Y/N)…That’s why you feel as if you have been injected adrenaline… full of energy. Your cells have adapted to that amount of energy.   
Now, you can produce so much energy that the other day you threw that huge energy blast without getting tired.”  
Everybody was white as chalk. Their eyes and mouth were frozen wide opened in an expression of stunned surprise. (Y/N) was staring straight at Bruce, but she appeared not to notice him at all.  
“Are there any more consequences?” Fury asked seriously.  
“We are still working on that” Bruce looked at his feet while speaking.   
He hated lying.  
“So…” (Y/N) wondered, “My powers have been…”  
“Improved?” Tony finished.  
Bruce nodded: “Sort of. But we still need to make some more tests.”  
“Do you think there could be any more consequences…?” Pietro asked worriedly.  
Bruce looked at him. Blood drained from his face, mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish with no sound coming out.   
He couldn’t tell them. Not in that moment. He needed to be sure about it before telling it to the team.  
“I don’t think so” Bruce smiled to reassure his words.  
There was an audible sigh of relief.  
“So, is it safe for (Y/N) to go on that mission?” Fury looked at Bruce suspiciously.  
“As long as she doesn’t use her powers, it’s not dangerous. Her powers have increased, so she would need some time to learn how to use them again. But you don’t want any powers on that mission, don’t you?” Bruce answered.  
“No, I don’t”  
“But she threw an energy blast out of nowhere because she got scared at a party. Why don’t you send Maximoff?” Steve yelled.  
“Clint informed me that Pietro still doesn’t know how to do body to body combat at a normal speed” Fury answered.  
“I’m going on that mission, Captain. I would be careful about it. I know there would be gunshots, so it won’t take me by surprise” (Y/N) replied harshly  
_______________  
After some other discussions and a detailed preparation of the plan, all the Avengers went out of the room.  
Bruce was about to exit when a voice stopped him:  
“Banner, close the door and come here”  
Bruce closed it and turned around to face Nick Fury. They were alone in the room.  
They stared at each other fixedly until Fury said slowly:  
“I’ll ask it again. Are there any more consequences?”  
_________________

“You look quite good in that clothes” Pietro whispered softly in her ear.  
(Y/N) chuckled. She was wearing tight black leggings, a black jumper, black combat boots and a mask that covered her face and hair entirely.  
“Your looks will literally kill them, you know” (Y/N) could feel his grin.  
“And you’re immune to them?” she asked mischievously.  
“I’m about to have a heart-attack, printsessa”  
(Y/N) laughed.   
Pietro pulled her against his chest tightly. His embrace was warm and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her body. The world around her melted away as she squeezed him back.  
Pietro sighed. He was really worried about her, although he was trying to hide. He wanted to transmit (Y/N) energy and strength, not his fear.  
He had tried every single argument that came into his mind to convince (Y/N) that going on a mission was not a good idea, but she was the most stubborn person he had ever known.   
Even more than Wanda, and that was quite a statement.  
“Be careful, printsessa” he whispered.  
“I will” she smiled.  
He placed a delicate kiss on her forehead.  
When they pulled apart (Y/N) approached her brother and then to Steve. He eyes were fixed on the ground.  
“Captain” (Y/N) whispered.  
But he continued looking away.  
“I know I was a bit harsh at the reunion. I’m sorry.” She stopped talking, waiting for his answer, but it didn’t come.  
(Y/N) turned around, but before she walked away, Steve grabbed her arm.   
“I know you’ll be able to do it. But be careful.”  
(Y/N) smiled and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss in Steve’s cheek.  
“Aye, aye, Cap!”  
__________________  
[Blues Hand Me Down, Vintage Trouble]

The gunshots cracked into the air as loud as thunder but without the raw power of a storm. In comparison, they were tinny and small, coming from one direction only.  
Aiden Vinton’s men were fighting fiercely, but Nat, Sam and (Y/N) were doing a good work.

“Nat, Sam, need help?” (Y/N) asked through her communication device.  
“Just two left” shouted Nat.  
“Already done here. What about you?” replied Sam.  
“One left” you informed.  
“Then I’ll begin looking for Aiden Vinton” Sam concluded.  
(Y/N) leaned against one of the huge boxes around the basement. There was only one of Aiden Vinton’s men left on that level. She had managed to get rid of the others taking them down one by one. She had climbed over the boxes and attacked them from the top.  
“Surprise factor” (Y/N) remember Nat’s words. She always repeated them during their trainings.  
Now there was only one left. (Y/N) had no more bullets and she had heard how the other men cursed softly as he threw his gun. The fighting conditions were balanced.  
(Y/N) heard something behind her back. She turned around and saw the only man left.  
She didn’t know who threw the first punch, but suddenly, her fist was slamming into his face while his sunk into her stomach. Blood pooled in his mouth as she gagged. They stumbled apart for a brief second to catch their breaths before diving back at each other, eyes narrowed in determination.   
She dodged his fist and came up with her own. For a brief instant, his eyes widened before he managed to tilt his head back and slammed it into hers.  
Stars burst in (Y/N)’s vision but she shook it off, blinding throwing a sloppy kick.  
“Is that all you got?” he crowed, smirking infuriatingly at her.  
But (Y/N) continued throwing kicks. The man evaded most of them, but (Y/N) continued until the man failed to block one of them.  
A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout his body. His stomach ached, his arms lost tension and his legs began to weaken.   
(Y/N) threw a last punch aimed at his face that left him completely unconscious, lying down on the floor.  
“You were saying?” (Y/N) was panting.  
She continued walking towards the door in front of her. She had to make sure that the floor was completely empty.  
When she opened it, out of the corner of her eye she caught a metal glimpse and she felt how a cold and smooth surface touched her forehead.  
The end of the gun pushed her back. She moved slowly while the man who was holding the gun came into the room where she had been fighting.  
Aiden Vinton.  
“Who do you work for?” he asked roughly as he looked around at all of his men, who were lying on the floor.   
“You know who I work for” (Y/N) teased. She needed some more time.  
His brown eyes flickered for a second. But the pure anger flared as he directed his lethal glare at her. He placed his finger next to the trigger.  
“Then, we will send them your death body as a message” he whispered.  
But, before he could even pull the trigger, (Y/N) threw an energy blast down from her hands which propelled his gun violently towards his face. Maybe a bit too fast.   
Aiden Vinton was conscious up until the second he hit the floor.  
(Y/N) looked around. She leaned towards Aiden Vinton to pick him up.  
“Don’t tell Fury” she whispered into his ear.

 

“Nat, Sam, I’ve got Aiden. See you at the back door.”  
____________

The phone buzzed in (Y/N)’s hand, notifying her that a voicemail had been received. It was from Clint.  
(Y/N) listened to it immediately. It was completely prohibited to send messages during the missions, even if the mission had already finished. That was unless there was something important that needed to be told. And Steve had to authorise it.  
“Hey (Y/N)… it’s Clint. I… Laura… She… Oh god, (Y/N)! You’ve got a new nephew! Nathaniel has just been born.”  
______________

Sergei Dorokhov’s eyes narrowed at the man in front of him. And that man knew from the dark, burning glare in his blue depths that he was very, very angry.  
“So, you are telling me that one of my best active partners has been attacked and kidnapped by the Avengers and not by another New York gambling gang?!”  
Zemo nodded carefully.  
“It’s all your fault! You knew this would happen! It won’t take them long to go after me! The Avengers will go after me!” every word stung by Dorokhov only fuelled the fire that burned inside of him.  
“Dorokhov,” said Baron Zemo patiently, “They are going exactly where we want them to be: right into the lion’s den”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it?^^
> 
> Next chapter will be out this week as well, probably on Friday   
> I'm really excited to write it. The Maximoff twins will meet the Barton family and some more things would happen ;)
> 
> PS: I wanted to thank the sweet TachminaMa for her help with Russian traductions. I really appreciate it ^^ 
> 
> And my eternal gratitude to the people who leave their comments. They really help me to continue writting.
> 
> Stay tuned!! ;)


	16. A/N

Hi everyone!

First of all, I'm **so sorry** for not updating this story for so long and not giving you notice. I'm really sorry and I do hope you forgive me.

The reason why I haven't updated is that I had some serious family problems. I don't really want to go into detail, but it felt like the weight of everything seemed to press down on my shoulders.

It's been a period of emotional stress, standing on the brink of something I can't really describe.

I tried to write, but I struggled like a horse trying in vain to pull a carriage out of the mud.

Fortunately, things are finally going back on track.

So, once again, my apologies for not updating or telling you earlier. I'll promise to make it up.

An update is coming soon.

**Love all of you,**

Alice Maximoff


	17. New surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So here we have chapter 16!  
> Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part!
> 
> It's a really long chapter and I do really hope that you enjoy it!

“I can’t stay here all day”  
Bruce remained completely quiet.  
A muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of his eye and his mouth formed a rigid grimace. With arms folded tightly across his broad chest he tapped his foot nervously and all while staring out of a small window.  
He needed to tell someone.  
Was it selfish wanting to bear that burden with someone else?  
He looked at Fury, who was standing in front of him, waiting patiently.  
Waiting for him to take that weight off his mind.  
“There are two consequences… The first one…” Bruce gulped, taking in deep breaths.  
Fury remained still, an expectant look in his face.  
“As I said before, her cells had to adapt to a huge amount of energy. Adapting to something is not as simple as it seems. Adapting means changing… Changing means a mutation.”  
Fury’s eyes widened as the news sank in.  
“Her cells have mutated in order to adapt… to survive. (Y/N) has mutated.”  
“In what way?”  
“We can’t know, Fury. That’s the thing! We don’t know what in hell could happen!”  
The sweat trickled down Bruce’s back, free flowing like condensation on a window pane.  
“But you have a hypothesis”  
“It’s just that… a hypothesis…based on the tests’ results ” his voice trembled lightly, “Helen and I think that she could develop new…”  
“… powers” Fury finished.  
“The amount of energy her cells contain isn’t normal. If new powers develop, they will be huge and very strong. I think she wouldn’t be able to control them. Look at what happened the other day at the party just because she got scared.”  
“Banner, I’ve just send an unstable agent on a dangerous mission. Why in hell did you say it was okay to send her after all you’ve just explained?” Fury’s tone rose.  
“As long as she doesn’t use her powers or tries to use the energy her cells have, there won’t be any problem. If she doesn’t force her cells to work to excess, the mutation won’t appear. Furthermore, staying here without doing a single thing would make her anxious. That could be even worse.”  
Fury nodded pensively.  
“But, as I’ve said, we still have to do more tests” Bruce turned around and was about to open the door when Fury stopped him:  
“The second consequence, Banner.”  
Bruce glanced at his luminous digital watch, which only seemed to confirm that time was slowing down, his stomach knotted up.  
“If… more energy goes into her system… just as Wanda did, her- her cells won’t be able to adapt to it again… She will-”  
“I don’t want you to tell them.” Fury interrupted Banner.  
Bruce’s eyes widened. He shook his head as Fury approached him.  
“They should know it, Fury. Maybe not now, but after Helen and I do some tests we will tell them.”  
“I’ll repeat it again: you won’t tell them a single thing.”  
“And what if I want to?” Bruce stared at him defiantly.  
And Banner would have walked away if it hadn’t been for his smirk. That little rise in the corner of Fury’s mouth combined with the cold detachment in his eye.  
He stood there, frozen to the spot.  
He knew what that smirk meant.

______________________________________________________________  
[Swans, Unkle Bob]

“Steve”  
He turned around.  
Wanda was standing in front of him. He couldn’t help but notice that there was something strange in the way she held herself, as if unsure of where her limbs should be in order to appear naturally placed.  
“We’re leaving” she announced.  
“I know. Send my regards to Laura and the kids” Steve replied.  
“You’re not coming?”  
“I have things to do over here. Aiden Vinton doesn’t want to speak willingly, and I want to interrogate him.”  
Wanda kept on clenching her fists tightly, until her nails dug into the palm of her hand. But she barely noticed. The only thing she was really aware of is that she was about to do something quite stupid.  
“Why are you so nervous?” Steve asked with concern.  
The sound of her heart throbbing against the cage of her chest increased.  
“I don’t want you to hurt my brother” her words leapt in the air as if a firecracker had gone off.  
Steve’s face stuck in an incredulous expression, with his unblinking stare fixed on Wanda.  
“What are you talking abo-?”  
“I’ve seen the way you look at her. Promise me nothing’s going to happen between (Y/N) and you!”  
Steve became white as chalk. His eyes and his mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise… and harm.  
“Steve” Wanda whispered, reaching for his hand.  
And, although Steve was staring straight at her, he appeared not to notice her at all.  
When Wanda touched his hand, Steve’s memories came into her mind like a great rush of water.  
She saw a young (Y/N) with a shorter hair eating ice cream on the couch. Steve was sitting next to her. Wanda noticed how (Y/N) introduced one of her fingers in the ice cream bottle and painted Steve’s cheeks. She saw (Y/N) and Steve teaming up to play laser tag. (Y/N) used her energy to propel his shield against Clint and Tony, knocking them to the ground.  
Another memory came by. (Y/N) was completely exhausted after her training, disappointed for not being able to blow up a mannequin with her powers. Natasha and Steve patted her back, promising her a better tomorrow.  
Then, she heard noisy sobs that echoed through an empty room. A pair of tears racing down (Y/N)’s cheeks until a finger brushed them away. Steve hugging (Y/N) protectively, talking with her, cheering her up.  
Steve arguing heatedly with a young boy with tousled dark brown hair and deep chocolate brown eyes while (Y/N) held Steve hand’s tightly.  
(Y/N) squishing his foot under her own while spinning freely one time after another at Tony’s parties.  
And Wanda felt the connection between them. It was the love you would find between a brother and a sister.  
“But one day” Steve whispered, startling Wanda, “you realise that she has grown up. She is no longer that girl. She’s an independent and beautiful woman. She doesn’t need someone to protect her.”  
The image of (Y/N) laying down on the hospital bed raced through Wanda’s mind. She felt Steve’s pain and uneasiness during that days after Sokovia.  
“I have closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them she’s another person. The person she is destined to be. You realise…” Steve’s voice broke, “that the things you have just seen in my mind” he said, looking at Wanda straight in the eye, “won’t happen again. They won’t be the same.”  
Steve remained silent. Wanda was about to speak when he continued muttering:  
“But I finally understood. I see her from a different perspective now. I’ve realised that she has grown up and moved on with her life… which makes me really happy”  
Wanda could feel the sincerity in his words.  
“And then I can’t help but think: “Steve, everyone is changing and moving on but you!”. But, even if everyone is moving one, I don’t want them to leave.”  
The images that came into Wanda’s mind became a blur, its light dimming until there was nothing more but blackness.  
“And I feel the same sisterly love towards her as before… but I don’t want her to leave like everyone else has. Maybe that’s why I’m acting this way. Maybe not. I just don’t know what to do.”  
Wanda walked up to him slowly and pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around him. Her embrace was warm and tender.  
“I think you haven’t realised… that you’re also chaging and moving on, Steve”  
____________________________________________________________________________

{Next day}

The sun was a radiant, all-watching eye, its light creeping into every corner, bathing the whole world in a warm glow when the quinjet landed.  
Wanda peeked through the window. She stared at the endless expanse of green wonder, stretching towards the distant horizon.  
There was a sweet old farmhouse burrowed into the upwards slope of the land. It rose up with its buildings like a huddle of old, painted vessels floating in still water, defying nature with its nice contrast.  
That was the moment when the three siblings spotted them.  
“Callum, Lewis, IT’S THEM!” Nicole began squealing.  
Callum and Lewis approached the window. They spotted three silhouettes heading towards the house. They couldn’t distinguish them quite well, as the sun blinded them with its rays, but one of them was undoubtedly (Y/N). They would have recognised her even one hundred meters away. She was walking with a girl and a boy. The girl seemed to have long brown hair and the boy’s hair shined with an incredible intensity.  
“Nicole, go and tell Dad and Mum that-“ Callum stopped giving orders when he saw Nicole opening the door and running towards (Y/N) and her friends, followed closely by Lewis.  
“Hey, wait for me!” he shouted as he tried to reach his siblings.  
“(Y/N)!!!” Nicole screamed. Her aunt’s face lit up with a smile as she opened her arms towards them, resulting in the three of them jumping at the same time in her embrace. Excitement poured out of them like sunshine through fine white linen. It glowed from the inside out.  
The first one pulling away from the hug was Nicole, who stared at her aunt’s friends with curiosity.  
“I’m Nicole” she said. A gentle flush of pink had arisen in her cheeks.  
“I’m Wanda and this is my twin” said the girl, pointing at the silver haired boy. Her smile was warm and vivacious.  
“I’m Pietro, the older brother” the boy winked at Nicole, who chuckled softly while Wanda groaned and muttered: “Not again”  
“Oh my god”  
Nicole turned around. Callum and Lewis were observing her two new friends. Their mouths were wide opened.  
Callum was tingling from his head to his toes. He bounced on his flexing feet and rubbed his hands together. He wore the facial expression he had when he got a large Christmas present.  
The amazing Scarlet Witch was just in front of him!  
“Relax, Callum, relax. Oh my god. THE SCARLET WITCH OH MY GOD SHE’S HERE” he tried ineffectively to set his thoughts in order, “I have to hide my Scarlet Witch action figure before she sees it!”  
Wanda’s lips quirked upwards in a joyous smile as she observed Callum.  
Lewis was also feeling giddy with excitement. He wanted to run, to shout, to tell everyone that he was in front of Quicksilver, the fastest man alive.  
“So, you’re the Scarlet Witch”, Nicole said, pointing at Wanda, “and you’re Quicksilver” she looked at Pietro.  
They both nodded.  
Nicole ran towards them and hugged them tightly, buring her head in Wanda’s red woollen jacket.  
After some seconds, she felt their arms surrounding her.  
“Thank you” she whispered to them.  
“You’re all already here!” a familiar and sweet voice came to them.  
Nicole pulled away from the hug as her mother approached. She greeted warmly (Y/N) and Wanda.  
Pietro held a hand awkwardly towards her, but Laura didn’t pay attention to it. Instead, she hugged Pietro tightly. He felt her soft skin and the gentle squeeze of his own. He bathed in her unexpected warm and the smell of freshly laundered clothes.  
“Thank you for saving my husband” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
Pietro was rendered speechless. 

In that moment, Clint appeared at the porch and all the kids, (Y/N), Wanda and Laura headed towards the house.  
Before entering, Pietro stopped by the door frame. That house looked a lot more bigger than the one he lived in. The house where he lived with his parents… that house which no longer existed.  
All of a sudden he felt lost and confused, but happy and certain. He was like a ball of tangled yarn. The parts that were untangled remained available, useable. The rest was a mess, useless until it was untied. Was he welcomed there? He was definitely out of place.  
He waited outside until Clint squeezed his shoulder with his wide, large hand and said:  
“Welcome home”

And that way, he led Pietro inside, to a new family.  
______________________________________________

“PIETRO, WANDA, CALLUM, LEWIS, NICOLE!” (Y/N) shouted from the porch, waving her hand at the five of them, which were playing around the house, “DINNER IS READY!”  
She observed in awe how Pietro caught her three nephews and his sister, becaming a silver blur. He carried them to the porch.  
“That was, AMAZING!” Lewis and Nicole squealed, running inside the house, followed closely by a dizzy Callum and an excited Wanda.  
The twins hadn’t been longer than five hours at Clint’s farm and the kids were already frantic and ecstatic with them. They had been playing with them all the afternoon at the long green fields.  
A stick was their sword, a pebble their diamond and the trees their castles. They made up thousands of games. They collected the world in small handfuls and parted with leaves in their hair.  
Pietro smiled at (Y/N).  
She couldn’t help but notice his eyes, which were of a really brilliant bright blue. Each time their eyes caught one another, (Y/N) would stare. She wasn’t sure of what she saw in his eyes. Maybe it was love, maybe it was his soul… maybe it was just really intense and vivacious blue attractive eyes. But she knew she saw something. She sometimes asked him: “Why are your eyes so blue?”  
He claimed it was his “chick magnet charm”. His personality was almost as amazing as his eyes. However, personality, as people thought, came from the soul, and if his eyes in anyway were a window to his personality, (Y/N) thought she liked that theory.  
Pietro gave (Y/N) a small peck on her forehead.  
“Nathaniel Pietro has gotten up. He’s on the living room” she informed.  
Pietro’s eyes lit up as he sped to the mentioned room. (Y/N) laughed and followed him.  
When she arrived, a sweet sight was waiting for her.  
Pietro was holding Nathaniel in his strong arms.  
Tiny fingers curled around his pinky. Pietro watched the baby peer through brand new eyes at what must be such a strange world after life in the womb. His legs kicked in a tiny jagged motion, finding nothing but air to kick to.  
When he stretched, his hands barely rose above his head, and Pietro though of how strange they all would look if they kept those body proportions as they grew.  
He held Nathaniel carefully, scared to break him. He was such an adorable baby. Then, Nathaniel began to fret and cry. Everyone had told Pietro how annoying that cry was, but he found it so cute he almost cried.  
He was holding a new person, and Pietro was already filling up with love for him.

_________________________________________________________  
{Moscow, Russia}

“How is Susan?”  
“My answer depends on the one you give me”  
“The pills are working” Andrei Ivanov sighed. He was sitting bleary-eyed and unshaven at the lab’s table.  
He had been working on that pills one day after another, barely resting. He was tired as hell, weary with the burden of long-closed eyes. He could have easily pulled off being a walking zombie: dead on the inside but subconsciously awake  
“Susan is fine” Baron Zemo confirmed as he read the file that Andrei had just given him, “It seems that our patients don't want to submit to Hydra’s control…” he whispered.  
“The pills improve their physical capacities. But their will is left untouched. And, after all, they didn’t volunteered for this. You got them against their will for this horrendous experiment” Andrei hissed.  
“Shut up!” Sergei warned menacingly, “If only we had the sceptre” he whispered to Zemo.  
“Wait, what’s this?” Baron Zemo read again a paragraph of the document carefully.  
Andrei and Sergei remained still, waiting for Zemo to say something.  
They nearly flinched when he talked:  
“Alright, if our patients don’t want to contribute, we will do it my way.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Have you ever heard about the withdrawal symptoms?”

_________________________________________________________  
[Longest Night, Howie Day]

There was a sharp rap at the window, a stone tapping against the glass.  
Immediately, (Y/N) scrambled out of bed and lurched towards the window. There was only one person she knew crazy enough to throw rocks at her window at midnight.  
She pulled back the curtains and sure enough standing on the lawn, glowing amber-soft in the porch lamp, was Pietro, looking as excited as a child with a new toy.  
He looked as beautiful as ever, honeyed shadows casted over the sharp planes of his face. He was shivering in the thin t-shirt that stretched tight over his broad shoulders.  
(Y/N) threw in a pair of sweatpants from the floor and tiptoed as fast as she could to the front door, almost tripping over her own feet in her haste. She threw the door open. Pietro was standing in the porch.  
Outside was nothing but moon speckled darkness, but at least it was not the kind of utter blackness that swallowed a person whole, it was instead a shadowy world painted in grey-scale.  
Adrenaline coursed through Pietro’s veins as he watched his own reflection dancing in her (e/c) eyes, a hint of confusion in them. Before (Y/N) could utter a word Pietro picked her up bridal style and began running.  
(Y/N) let out a soft scream, but Pietro continued running. She closed her eyes and drank in the scents as Pietro took her along a narrow path: woodsmoke and musk. Then green pine and leaf mould from the forest, whilst the lake itself, the reassuring scents of pondweed and fern. The scents came by and disappeared in just one second, as fast as the blur of images raced in front of her.  
She closed her eyes again and when she reopened them, a deep sense of serenity overcame her as she stared in rapture at the expanse that lay before her.  
In twilight the surface of the lake was as smooth as black glass, but the moonlight made some parts shine like a molten mirror.  
“You didn’t see that coming?” Pietro was breathing rapidly, recovering from his short race.  
(Y/N)’s laughter was a shiny thing, like pewter flung high in the air.  
“You have a beautiful laugh” Pietro murmured, mesmerised by her sight. He finally cleared his throat and gestured towards the lake: “I wanted to show you this beautiful lake. Nicole showed it to me this afternoon.”  
(Y/N) turned towards Pietro. He noticed the way her lips lifted upward. The way her one dimple crinkled. The way her teeth were perfectly aligned. The warm glow her happiness gave.  
“It’s an amazing place” she muttered.  
After some minutes in silence, staring into the depths of the lake, Pietro spoke:  
“It’s been an awkward dinner”  
(Y/N) chuckled.  
“What moment of the dinner, when Laura asked us how many kids we wanted to have, or when she wanted us to get married in her barn? Hmm...maybe when Clint nearly stabbed you with his fork when you answered...”  
“Hey, I meant it. I want a small army of that small and lovely creatures. Just imagine it, our little kids running around and-“ he suddenly stopped, realising what he had just said.  
He looked at (Y/N), who kept staring at the black lake. She was grinning.  
“You would be an amazing father… You know that, don’t you?”  
People say that all possible feelings don’t exist yet. There are still those that lie beyond one’s capacity. From time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written, or something else impossible to predict takes place, a new feeling enters the world.  
(Y/N)'s words kept sounding in his head, and his heart surged to absorb their impact.  
It was a new kind of utter happiness.

(Y/N) continued observing the black and mesmerising lake. It had lost its turquoise to the night, but in the moonlight the ripples twisted. That was all the invitations she needed to dive in. To swim deeply into the welcoming blackness and leave her troubles bobbing above.  
Suddenly, she began lifting her shirt and leaving at sight her black bra. Pietro was left aghast as he observed (Y/N) taking off her clothes, standing only in her underwear.  
His heart beat sped up, while he kept staring at her. He was a boy after all, a boy with certain feelings and emotions.  
The moonlight bathed her skin, giving her a goddess aura. She winked at him.  
“And… did you see this coming?” She began running towards the lake.  
When she reached the border she got impulse and cannonballed into the water.  
Pietro remained immobile until a small smirk appeared in his lips. He began tossing off his pants and t-shirt and ran towards the black water.

The water moved around his body, dancing around his outstretched fingers, caressing him coolly, eddying in their wake. He propelled himself upwards, towards the surface.  
(Y/N) was squirting water from her mouth, trying in vain to keep it closed. She didn’t know why, but she found herself laughing so hard, and she couldn’t stop it. Her breath came in quick gasps between her unstoppable giggles.  
Pietro began to laugh with her. He was in that state of intoxication when he could find no release from maddening self-consciousness.  
(Y/N)’s sopping hair stuck against her forehead and kept getting into her eyes. After shaking her head vigorously and wiping the hair away from her face she saw Pietro treading water across from her, donning a wide, luminous grin on his face.  
He caught her bare waist and pulled her up against him, her tummy against his stiff abs and her hands against his chest. He kissed the water droplets from her lips, and she felt her lips smile against his.  
He swept her hair aside and kissed her just over the collarbone.  
(Y/N) hung her fingers in his waistband, dragging him closer, burying her face in his shoulder curve. Her hands flexed around his back.  
“I love you” she whispered into his silver locks.  
And then she kissed him. 

When she kissed him, his brain would always lit on fire and the warmth spread throughout his entire body. Those kisses… they were his salvation and torment. He lived for them and would die with the memory of them in his lips.  
After all, he was addicted, addicted to her, for he knew that if he lost her, he would lose himself as well. She was the half that made him whole.  
She breathed in sharply and kissed him delicately, his arms encircling her waist, drawing her in, his lips hungry for hers.

_____________________________________  
Pietro knelt and locked the door.  
He locked the door locking the world and time outside. He stretched his body across the mattress and (Y/N) drew in close to him, placing her open hand on his chest, her mouth near his shoulder.  
That way, he hold his beloved printsessa until sweet sleep overcame. (Y/N) was the first to succumb.  
Pietro was about to follow her to the land of dreams when he heard a soft knock at the door.  
He stood up carefully, trying not to wake her up.  
When he opened the door, he saw Wanda and Clint. Clint was holding his phone.  
“Fury has just sent me a message. He wants the three of you at the headquarters tomorrow at 10 o’clock”  
“But we were going to stay here for some days and-“  
“Well, tell that to Fury, then” Clint groaned.  
“Pietro, Fury said it was important. Aiden Vinton has finally talked and he wants all of us over there tomorrow” Wanda added  
Pietro rubbed his eyes. He wanted to stay in that house, with Nicole, Callum, Lewis and Nathaniel, playing with them the entire day. He wanted to go diving with (Y/N) at night. He wanted to have dinner with Laura...  
And all of a sudden, all of his plans had vanished into thin air.  
“I’ll tell (Y/N)” Pietro hissed.  
“Wait. Is (Y/N) there? Why the hell is (Y/N) sleeping in you room?”  
Pietro closed the door.  
But that time, it didn’t locked the world and time outside it.

__________________________________________________  
{Moscow, Russia}  
“I expect you to take care of everything while I’m gone”  
Sergei nodded obediently as he observed Zemo packing some knives into his backpack.  
“Where are you going?” Sergei immediately closed his eyes.  
He shouldn’t have asked him that.  
When he opened them, he saw Zemo looking at him. He was smiling.  
“I’ll be away for some days, but I’ll come with new surprises, Sergei”  
He finished packing some of his belongings. Then, he headed towards the door.  
“Some reunions with old friends. Skoro uvidimsya, Sergei [See you soon, Sergei]”

He closed the door with a loud bang, leaving Sergei completely disconcerted in the now empty room.

_______________________________________________________  
{Next day}  
[You really got me, The Kinks]

“Reunion in ten minutes”  
(Y/N) dressed up quickly. She was already two minutes late, and Fury didn’t like people to arrive late.  
When she finished buttoning her shirt she sped down the corridor.  
After some minutes of intense running, she arrived at the corridor where the room was.  
She was about to reach the door when a silver blur went past her. She felt his lips pressed on her own. She closed her eyes, all the worries of Fury and the reunion out gone from her mind.  
Sadly, a few seconds later, she had to pull away, and what she saw standing behind Pietro nearly made her faint on the spot.  
Pietro turned around, confused by (Y/N)’s sudden stop. He saw a young agent looking at them. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep chocolate brown. His face was strong and defined.  
Just as she remembered him.  
He had dark eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His usually playful smile had drawn into a hard line across his face as he observed (Y/N).  
“What are you doing here?” Pietro could sense the tension in (Y/N)’s voice.  
The young agent kept on looking at her, staring deep into her eyes. (Y/N) couldn’t help but blush. His smile etched its way back into his face.  
Pietro was about to ask what was all that about when Fury came out of the room.  
“Well, I see you’ve already met Oliver” he sighed.  
Oliver and (Y/N) remained quiet, staring at each other defiantly.  
“What is he doing here?” Pietro repeated (Y/N)’s question, looking at her, confused by her reaction.  
“He’s a recruit from SHIELD, currently working at Russia. He’s here to help us with Sergei Dorokhov. We’re going after him.”  
Silence lay across the corridor like a poison. It seeped into (Y/N)’s blood and paralyzed her brain, a slight tremor in her hands.  
In that moment, Oliver opened his arms, smiling at (Y/N).  
“I expected a much warmer welcome from you, honey”  
“Honey?” Pietro stared at Oliver, then at (Y/N), completely disconcerted.  
(Y/N) broke the eye contact with Oliver to look at Pietro.  
“Pietro, this is Oliver, my…”  
“Her ex-boyfriend” Oliver finished the sentence. He approached (Y/N) and hugged her. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke with his deep voice:  
“But we could scratch that “ex” thing”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sooooo... Did you like the chapter??  
> Drama and action is on its way.  
> And, even if some things doesn't seem to make sense, it will all finally connect ;)
> 
> Comments are better than swimming with Pietro at night!
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	18. Blessed are the forgetful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 17 is here!!  
> A lot of things will happen during this chapter. Take note of the small details! ;)
> 
> Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Regret washed over her like the long slow waves on a shallow beach. Each wave was icy cold and sent shivers down her spine.

Her thoughts were erratic: what she should have done or said differently, what she shouldn’t have done at all…

(Y/N) looked around her.

That airplane was like a tin can with wings. Maybe thirty years ago it was the cutting edge of micro-aeroplane engineering, but now it looked more like a battered steel coffin waiting to pitch someone into a hungry ocean.

It was the sort of plane that would barely have been noticed flying through that part of the world.

That was why it had been chosen.

Another wave of regret came, crashing in her.

She couldn’t undo it, but she could make it right. She just didn’t know how… 

The starboard engine finally sparked to life. As smoke poured from the exhaust pipes, the gears were engaged and the propeller began to spin.

 

Oliver sat next to her and smiled tenderly.

“Everything will be alright” he whispered.

(Y/N) stared at him.

Another shiver went down her spine.

 

The sun rays streamed through the windows, yet her mind was clouded with grey.

For a moment, she envied the pebbles, hard and lifeless, unable to feel the torments of life.

 

The plane took off.

________________

2 DAYS EARLIER

“You had a boyfriend? And you didn’t tell me a single thing?”

“Pietro, the key word is “had”. And I didn’t mention him because we haven't talk about that topic, and I put that problem in the back of my mind long ago!”

(Y/N) stared fixedly at Pietro. He looked as if the muscles of his face had gone on strike. Everything about it was slack and it gave him the aura of one who would spurn even the most well-meaning attempts to strike up a conversation. Even his shoulders drooped and, as he made his way to his bed, he made eye contact with (Y/N).

“For God’s sake, Pietro, this is ridiculous”

“Why didn’t you tell me before? Don’t you trust me?” Pietro crossed his arms.

(Y/N) looked at him incredulously. “Of course I trust you… undoubtedly”

Pietro closed his eyes tightly.

He had never been jealous before he met (Y/N). And it burned. Like silver through his veins. Thinking she had been with another man… That maybe, the moments they were living together... she had already lived them before. That they weren’t special at all.

(Y/N) observed his semblance.

He was so easy to read. People, in general, were easy to read. They called her “observant”, but that wasn’t particularly true. Everyone bleeds emotions even in the way they drink their coffee. No one seems to notice though. They’re all too busy drinking their own coffee.

“You know, jealousy is a dragon which slays love under the pretence of keeping it alive” she stated.

Pietro opened his eyes and looked through the window.

It was not just jealousy. It was something else.

(Y/N) was a wild spirit. She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knew nothing of borders. “Time” for her wasn’t something to fight against. Her life flowed clean, with passion, like fresh water.

And he loved her for that, but it terrified him as well.

She could leave at any moment, just like a drop of free water could continue its way to the ocean. It was something he had always known, but the presence of Oliver had accentuated all those feelings.

Under his extroverted exterior, beneath his cocky mask, right at his core, he felt a void. A seed of worry and powerless, as he had had to mend the absence of people who had ever loved him. Only Wanda had stayed.

“Pietro” (Y/N) whispered, approaching to him.

“I need some time on my own” he muttered, still looking through the window. He really needed to sort out his thoughts.

(Y/N) stared at him pensively. He was simply frightened, maybe scared that now that Oliver was back she would leave. Was that all about? How could he not rate those qualities in himself that had made her love him?

Pietro rose his glance and observed how (Y/N) approached him. She was glaring at him like she was about to punch him, but then, she did something that surprised Pietro even more.

(Y/N) kissed Pietro straightforward, accepting no prisoners and with an intensity that left him breathless. It was hot and hard, and desperate, like she was starving for telling him through that kiss what he wouldn’t listen to.

And Pietro opened his mouth and took it, because… God.

She straddled him and his mouth moved passionately over hers, urging her lips apart. It was a passionate, demanding, soul-searing kiss that nearly knocked the earth off its axis.

Or at least that was how Pietro felt about it.

He finally cradled her head in both his hands, his mouth hot on her neck.

“I hope you understand this” she whispered.

Then, she stood up and headed towards the door.

“(Y/N)”

She stopped. Her hand was touching the latch.

“Did he hurt you?”

He couldn’t see her face, but her shoulders slumped.

“It’s all in the past now” her voice was firm.

“I won’t lie. I want to beat the hell out of that man. If he tries to hurt you again… I’ll-”

In just moments, her mouth gave up on the stoicism, breaking into a slight grin: “I know”

 

                                                                  …..

 

“Long time no see, Rogers”

“This is your room”, Steve replied harshly, handing Oliver the keys.

Oliver’s mouth corner curved slightly, a youthful confidence worn in the light raise of his eyebrow above a quizzical, joyful eye.

Steve stared at him.

He was worried about what his presence could cause. Worries looped around in his mind until there was no room for anything else.

“Where’s (Y/N)?” Oliver asked innocently.

“Let’s make things clear” Steve’s eyes were rigid and cold, “We’re not friends. If I am nice to you it’s just to show you the respect you should have learnt since our last encounter. The others may think you’re a nice guy. They don’t know you at all. Just leave her be… She’s happy now”. Then, Steve walked down the corridor, not looking back.

Wanda had been listening to the entire conversation.

 _“So... Oliver is that boy that appeared in Steve’s memories…”_ she thought.

She still remembered it. She recalled Steve arguing heatedly with Oliver while (Y/N) held his hand tightly.

 “What’s your name?” Oliver’s voice startled Wanda.

She stared into his brown emotionless eyes. There was something about him that sowed suspicion. It wasn’t just his cold eyes, it was the intelligence behind them.

“Wanda”

After a long silence, he replied: “Nice name”

She continued glaring at him, trying to reach his mind. When she entered it, a feeling of confusion overcame her. It was hard to focus on one of his thoughts, as if they were smoke and she was trying to grab them.

“Stare or don’t, you won’t get anything” His arms folded tightly over his freshly ironed uniform.

Then, he entered into his room and closed the door with a loud bang.

 

                                                           ….

 

The late sun reflected along the iridescent feathers of the bird’s back, portraying a shimmering array of blue and green colours. Its long tail feathers fanned outwards with a swift flick, as if they were carrying its own banner, accompanied by a sad and melodic cry. The bird tried to fold his blackened wings against his body.

That’s when (Y/N) realised that he had a broken wing.

She was at the terrace, enjoying the view, when the bird’s melancholic chirps caught her attention.

Before extending her hands over his feathers, she closed her eyes.

She tried to concentrate on her energy, just as she had been doing in her training with Steve and Natasha some days ago. She had managed to control her powers again, although she was banned from using large amounts of energy.

Bruce’s orders.

 

She noticed how her energy flowed down to her fingers.

She opened her eyes, just in time to see the small glitter clouds floating around them. She nodded approvingly: that was the perfect amount of energy that the bird would need for his broken wing. If it was not the exact amount, it would be less than the necessary.

She approached her fingers to the bird, barely touching the black feathers, and closed her eyes again. She felt how the bird cells took her energy, how the small bones went back to their place and how-

She opened her eyes immediately.

Her eyes fell on the bird’s figure. His eyes on her, burning coal with no shape. They were lost in the sky above them.

Her heart drenched by fear. Her eyes struggled to move, to search for any kind of movement of his feathers.

Nothing. The bird was completely immobile…

Had she killed that bird?

That was impossible. She had used the minimum amount of energy. She already had her powers under control. Natasha said so.

Her powers were supposed to heal, not to cause pain or death.

Had she used too much energy? No. That was impossible. She…

(Y/N) closed her eyes, trying to control her thoughts. To control that strange feeling that was growing inside her. It felt like a nail bomb exploding in her innards.

 

When she came back, just five minutes later, she knew there was a problem… and there was.

Bruce was standing next to her, holding her shoulders tightly. That’s when she realised that from her right elbow to her hand, her skin was in various shades of pink and red.

“Does it hurt?”

(Y/N) shook her head.

Bruce looked at her eyes hesitantly: “Did you use your powers?”

(Y/N) breathed deeply. She knew exactly what she had to do.

“I fell down and this happened due to the brush” she smiled sadly at Bruce.

Bruce looked straight in her eyes. (Y/N) kept eye contact until Bruce lowered his look to her arm.

“Follow me, we’ll heal that”

 

 

Some minutes later a person approached to the bird.

It was the same person that had been observing the whole scene from its beginning to that very moment.

________________

1 DAY EARLIER

Everyone looked at Fury expectantly.

“We know our next move” he announced.

“Our plan is to go after Sergei Dorokhov. We suppose he's Hydra’s leader in Russia. And we want to know what’s going on over there. So, instead of sending the attack team straight away, Oliver gave me another idea. We could send someone on an undercover mission to get as many information as possible. As soon as we know what's going on over there, the attack team will take the base down. That way, we will be a step ahead of them. Everyone agrees?”

Everyone nodded approvingly.

“Who will go?” Natasha asked.

“Natasha, you won’t go. You’re already well known by Hydra’s operatives. And that goes as well for Rogers, Banner, Stark, Wilson, Clint, Pietro and Wanda. Vision is out of the question for obvious reasons. Our only recruits left are (Y/N) and Rhodes. Rhodes is required right now by the army.

(Y/N), you’re the only one left. You haven’t been on missions against Hydra. Your first official mission was at Wakanda and your belonging to the Avengers is not of the media’s interest. I’ve made sure about it.

So… Congratulations, agent Barton, this would be your first undercover mission.

We just want you to inform us about what’s going on. No interventions. If something is needed, the whole group will go into action. Absolutely **no powers**. Take note of that.

Oliver will accompany her. He’s one of our best operatives at Russia and will provide (Y/N) any information she could need during her mission.

What do you think about it?”

(Y/N)’s eyes shone with excitement. She had been dreaming of that opportunity day and night.

She was younger and less experienced than her team mates, so opportunities like that one only appeared once in a blue moon.

Her first solo mission.

Her first opportunity to make things right, to help people, to do something else than training.

Her mind had already disconnected some time ago, when hearing “undercover mission”. So, when she noticed that everyone in the room was looking at her, the first thing that came to her lips was a single and simple word:

“Yes”

_____________

8 HOURS EARLIER

[Wake me up when September ends- Green Day]

 

Pietro drunk in silence, hoping that the answer lay at the bottom of the glass, and then the bottom of the bottle, and then the next bottle and the next.

And so the night dragged on.

He didn’t want to go to that “Goodbye party” for (Y/N) and Oliver. Not after what had happened.

The alcohol made the memories blurry, but her voice… He could still hear her voice, just as if she was sitting next to him, at that bar round the corner.

_“It’s my first solo mission, Pietro. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”_

_“Did you even ask me how I felt about it?!”_

_He never argued with his fists, but his words packed a powerful punch. Carefully spoken, without drama, his words had an air of finality to them, and no matter how hard she railed against them, nothing would change his mind._

_“Oh!, so now I have to ask you for permission when doing something?” Her face was mottled crimson, her neck strained. Her words were spat out with the ferocity and rapidity of a machine gun fire._

_“If we are in a relationship, we should care about our partner’s opinions!”_

_“Why do you make a fuss over something like this, about me going on a mission? It’s MY job. I’ve been doing this for a long time before you came. And if I had to go with Natasha, would your opinion change?”_

His drink of choice was vodka on the rocks, but to (Y/N) that alcohol tasted like nail polish remover, or at least what she thought that would taste like.

_That had been the trigger. And he said things..._

_He guessed you could call them bad. Only he ever said them when he was angry._

_Each word became like water and his mouth, the faucet. They flew smoother than the ocean yet stung worse than a burning sandstorm._

_She leant closer, perfectly composed, and uttered just three words: “I don’t care”_

_His fuse simmered and fizzed like a firework in a chill autumn breeze, then he exploded._

_She remained still as a cadaver, and just as pallid, unblinking against his words. Then, she turned on her heels and walked away as if strolling in the park on a fine day._

His soft lips stretched into a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his blue eyes. They were lit with sadness, and the forced expression of the contrary on his mouth would have looked comical to him if it didn’t make his heart feel so heavy.

He didn’t want her to leave.

He didn’t like that Oliver guy.

He didn’t want her to turn into a random image that floated in the pool of his memory.

He didn’t want to be the smile that squeezed her chest somewhere far away.

He didn’t want her to go.

He wanted her smile to stay.

_______________

7 HOURS EARLIER

The music was so loud it made her skin tingle and her lungs feel like mush. The bass thumped in time with her heart beat as though they were one. Over the roar of music, a distant, hazy chatter could be heard. She couldn’t make out any words, but laughter rang in her ears and wouldn’t seem to stop.

Stark always knew how to throw a party.

And that one was in her honour. A goodbye party to wish her good luck with her next mission.

Tony dragged her to the dance floor. The song that was playing got louder, pulling her in, and wouldn’t let go.

(Y/N) enjoyed it, but she wanted to see that one person she had been searching for during the party. To find him. To talk to him.

A strong arm took hold of hers and pulled her out of the dance floor.

She turned around, hoping to see him.

The sparkle from her eyes faded with disappointment.

“I wanted to wish you good luck on your mission” Steve smiled.

“Aye, aye, Captain” she said mockingly.

“And…” his face became serious, “I also want you to call or text me each two days to know what’s happening over there.”

“Fury told me to inform him about the mission” she whispered.

“And you will, but I also want you to inform me about it”

(Y/N) nodded. She didn’t understand Steve’s petition, but she had spent enough time with him to learn to trust him and his orders.

“And if something happens, we will all go there. We will always have an eye on you”

…

 

Bruce sighed with exasperation.

Nietzsche once said: “Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders”.

If only it were true. He searched again through the mountains of papers, but the file didn’t appear.

“Dr. Banner. Everyone is already at the party.” FRIDAY stated.

“I’m going” he said, putting on his jacket and heading out of the lab.

He would search for it later on. Now, he had to attend a “Goodbye party”.

 

 

What Bruce didn’t know was that it wasn’t his forgetfulness but the yearning of another person that had made the file disappear.

The file’s title was: “(Y/N)’s results”

________________

30 MINUTES EARLIER

She boiled the kettle for the fifth time that morning, already filled to the brim with tea and wired with caffeine. She busied herself getting the cups and teabags ready.

She had already go to his room. But his door was closed and he wouldn’t reply.

_“Pietro… It’s me, (Y/N)…Please open”_

_Silence_

_“Pietro… Please… I want to talk… I’m so sorry about what happened…”_

Another quick glance at the luminous digital clock of the oven only seemed to confirm that time was going faster.

Her stomach knotted up.

_________________

5 MINUTES EARLIER

Pietro wrapped himself in the duvet, waves of nausea adding to his misery. His phone pinged with message after message, none of them form (Y/N); hers was a special ring.

His brain felt like it would swell beyond the capacity of his skull and now dehydration was too obvious to ignore. He would have to bump down the stair on his backside.

Again, his stomach lurched and gurgled. Perhaps some painkillers would help too.

He raised his heavy eyelids half way only for them to fall shut. He raised them again and swung his bare feet to the carpet again.

Once on his feet the room swayed almost causing him to loose balance and he reached out for the wall. His hand slipped along the high sheen paint and he sprawled onto the carpet with a crashing thump. The room swirled before becoming stationary again and he used the bedstead to pull himself standing.

Perhaps (Y/N) would make him that delicious pancakes. She was good at preparing them, and he really needed to eat something.

He dug his phone out of his jeans pocket to text her. Maybe she was at her training.

He started going through the messages, most of them from his sister.

Then, he realised.

1 MINUTE EARLIER

He arrived to her room in just a few minutes.

The drumming of his knuckles on (Y/N)’s door was like hail on a glass pane, as relentless as it was loud. Each knock echoed the tumultuous thudding of his heart beat.

His face, rigid with tension, belied his youthfulness, he seemed to have aged a decade in the past few minutes.

“(Y/N)… It’s me, Pietro… Please open”, his guilt sat not on his chest, but inside his brain. What he had done and said and could not be un-done.

“(Y/N)… Please… I want to talk. I’m so sorry about yesterday. I was drunk in jealousy. I didn’t mean a word I said…”

His mother said regrets were “moral residue”. Like something hard to remove got stuck on you when you did something against your better judgement. Pietro didn’t understand it until he did something wrong himself.

Now, the residue seemed impossible to remove, like an indelible stain on his cerebral cortex.

“(Y/N)” he pleaded.

“Pietro”

He turned around, startled by that voice. Wanda was standing next to him. She placed her hand in his shoulder and caressed it tenderly. It hurt her to see her brother like that.

“Her plane is taking off”

There were times were he felt like the world was slowly disappearing in front of him. Or maybe it was just him who was fading away. Those moments it didn’t mattered anyway. Because his empty burning lungs and his heart hitting his chest so hard he thought it would break his ribs were the only things he could think about.

“What can I do? I’ll get into the plane before it takes off!”

“You can't fly, Pietro..." Wanda whispered. She paused, and then added, "I might have an idea” 

…

 

“This is definitely the strangest idea you’ve ever had”

“It’s a perfect idea”

“You’ll be in trouble”

“I won’t. But you better call me every single night. Promise?”

“Promise. But, Wanda, I-”

“And take care of (Y/N). I don’t like that guy”

“Me neither”

“He knows how to block telepaths”

“What?! But-”

“We’ll talk later. Take care, brother”

…

 

“Excuse me, my brother is waiting for his plane to take off. Where’s the pilot?”

“I’m sorry, but there’re no flights programmed for this morning” said the old man.

“Fury’s orders”

“Well, I haven’t been informed about-“

Red flames danced around the recruit’s head, entering slowly in his mind. He immediately nodded and gestured Pietro towards the hangar.

Pietro opened his arms and Wanda didn’t hesitate to go into them. Hugs like that one could never be long enough for her.

“I don’t want to leave you here alone” he whispered against her hair.

“It’s her who needs you now. I’ve got a bad feeling about it. And I’ll be safe. I’m with the team”

“This might be the first time we go separate ways for some time…” His embrace was warm and his big, strong arms wrapped protectively around her body.

“It had to happen one day. But I’ll take care, even if I’m twelve minutes younger.”

“Have you just admitted-“

“Go” she said with a sad smile.

Her brother squeezed her one last time before disappearing of her sight.

___________________

PRESENT MOMENT

{Moscow, Russia}

 

After some hours of flight they finally arrived. She had made some small talk with Oliver during the flight.

Nothing more. That had been the first time they had talked. During his stay at the Avengers' Headquarters (Y/N) had been avoiding him, and she planned to continue doing the same unless she needed information for her mission.

There wasn't any need to exchange more words with him.

 

She went straight to her room. 

There was a small single bed, looking like a snow drift, so white and feathery and high was it; one window curtained with a square starched white cotton cloth that drew over the panes by means of a white cord; a tiny wash-stand with an old-fashioned bowl, and over it, an old-fashioned gilt mirror. Some small splint-bottomed chairs and a large braided rug of red woollen rags. That was all.

It was enough for her.

(Y/N) bit on her lower lip, her eyes turning glossy with tears. She tried to blink them away and, when she realised that she couldn’t, she pulled up the hood of her jacket and stared at the ground. She hide her tears, and with it all the pain of the realisation that she was now in Russia, far away from him.

Someone knocked at the door.

She managed to fake a smile that buried her pain deep inside her heart. But her eyes remained cold, like nothing in the world could melt them.

She walked towards the door and opened it.

His face came from the shadows, his features suspended between joy and sadness.

Seconds passed, her brain taking him in, struggling to comprehend that he wasn’t one of the pictures she kept in her mobile phone, that he was real.

Her brain couldn’t formulate a thought, at least not one based in any language, and if she didn’t touch him soon, her atoms would tear themselves apart.

“You didn’t see that coming?” Pietro smiled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Did you like the chapter?
> 
> I have to admit that it's been a bit difficult to write about Pietro's feelings throughout the chapter, but it was great to get all that down my head right to the keyboard.  
> I hope you all like the result!
> 
> And, even if the reader is now in Russia, there'll be many parts featuring the Avengers.  
> There're still a lot of loose ends ;)
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro baking cookies.
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	19. Come sit and belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update, guys! I've just started college and I had some work to do, but, at last! Here's Chapter 19!  
> And! Warnings: Smut (I know, ha!)
> 
> So... prepared for an intense chapter?
> 
> Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part.
> 
> Enjoy!

_[Possibility, Lykke Li]_

{Moscow, Russia}

 

“Pietro?”

 

He remained still, eyes casted to the corridor’s floor.

When (Y/N)’s hand touched his face, he kept his gaze away, unwilling to risk rejection.

With her fingers on his cheek, (Y/N) turned his head slowly until their eyes met. She wanted to show him, so that he could see that there was no judgement in her eyes, only love.

Her face buckled and tears rolled unchecked, washing a path to her chin. That tears contained all the stress that had built up inside of her since she was told about her new mission.

In moments, Pietro held her tightly, an embrace he never wanted to end.

“If your guilt tears at your heart and rips at your insides, you are already forgiven. Come sit and belong” she whispered softly, pulling away from their embrace.

They paused, and his eyes searched for hers as he leaned, his lips drawing near, her lips parting to receive them.

He stopped inches away, his eyes drifting down to her lips.

Everyone would think that (Y/N) was always prepared. That, after the hours she had spent with him, with his lips, she would know everything about his kisses. But she hadn’t imagined how warm they would feel pressed up against her own.

How comforting…

**…**

Forgiveness came in three stages for (Y/N), though the second was perhaps closer to the notion of redemption.

The first stage is a forgiveness so complete that no bitterness remains: it frees the person wronged and has little to do with the one who erred.

 

_“I’m sorry, (Y/N), I should have…”_

_“Pietro”, (Y/N) silenced him, placing her finger over his lips, “I’m the one who’s truly sorry about it.”_

For the second stage, the wrong doer must understand what they did, be truly sorry and take steps to make amends, steps to ensure they don’t repeat the negative action.

 

_“I just need you to understand something: trust. You may not trust other people, like Oliver. I don’t trust him either. But… after all we’ve been through, why don’t you trust me? Or, why don’t you trust yourself, the small things in your being that made me love you?”_

_“I was scared, (Y/N)”_

_“I know. But, whenever you feel scared, just remember this” she drew her palm forwards. She set it on the centre of his chest, right over his heart. She pressed it. “Or I’ll have to kick your ass until you remember it.”_

_Pietro inhaled slowly, closing his eyes, focusing on the feeling of her hand pressed on his chest._

_“It may take some time, (Y/N). It’s not just as simple as that… It burns.”_

_“If we’ve got something, it’s time. And I’ll help you”_

_He opened his eyes and stared at her tenderly, nodding silently._

_“And…” he tried to find the words, but every time he searched for them, they would hide, leaving him completely blank._

_“I know, I’ll talk things with you. I care about your opinion.”_

_“Thanks.”_

Then, the second phase of forgiveness can happen, the phase when the relationship and love is restored to what it was before, or perhaps something deeper.

It’s only after this redemptive phase that it is appropriate for the wrong doer to forgive themselves, so that the opportunity for personal growth is not lost.

Pietro had always found that part hard.

 

_“There is no perfect lover, we are all flawed, but knowing those flaws, accepting them, improving every day and still loving with all your heart creates perfect love, if it even exists.”_

But her words and kisses could finally get him rid of that guilt.

**______________________________ **

****

The arguing came right through the walls as loud as any TV show. They got all the details, even the ones they never wanted to know.

But it had a dull exhaustion to it, like they’d been over the same bitterness too many times before.

Oliver had a sneer in his voice that extended to his eyes, and Fury spat after every vent.

The door opened suddenly, and Oliver came out.

Pietro’s face tightened as Oliver locked his eyes on his. They were the ones reserved for the prisoners he guarded, a hateful distain. But it was more than that. There was a tenseness he wasn’t even trying to mask, anger radiating from his skin.

“Welcome to Russia, Pietro” his eyes flashed indignantly, much like a lightning on a pitch black night. “Fury wants to talk with both of you”.

Pietro gave Oliver a subtle grin. Just a small pouting of the lips, a narrowing of the eyes. It was even more infuriating for Oliver, who caught a glimpse of it.

But his grin quickly disappeared when he entered the room and saw Fury’s angry face projected on the wall.

As soon as (Y/N) closed the door, Fury started speaking:

“Maximoff, you’re in trouble, but we’ll talk about it later” he stated coldly.

“Now, agent Barton” he said, his eye fixed on (Y/N), “Tomorrow you’ll meet Sergei Dorokhov for an interview. Our contacts have discovered that he is looking for a new scientist with broad knowledge in chemistry. We’ve already falsified some informs:

Congratulations, last year you graduated with honours in your chemistry degree and you already have a broad framework for employment in different enterprises.

You’re the type of scientist that everyone would like to have in their team.

Now, if he chooses you or not, it will depend on your interview.

Remeber that if you suceed at infiltrating, we would go a step ahead of them. We would know their plans.

I’ve sent to your laptop the rest of the information you’ll need to know.”

(Y/N) nodded. Her nerves were frayed to the quick.

“That’s all. Good luck with your mission, (Y/N)”

“Thanks”

Fury then turned to look at Pietro, who was holding the door open for (Y/N). He was about to follow her when his words stopped him:

“Not so fast, Maximoff”

He smiled at (Y/N), who was looking at him worriedly, and gestured her to wait for him outside the room.

When the door closed, Pietro turned slowly to face Fury:

“You’ll stay in Russia in case she needs any help, but don’t you dare to think that this won’t have any repercussions.”

_____________________________

{New York, EEUU}

 

When Fury finished talking to Pietro, he turned off the computer.

“Well, that wa a bit too harsh, Fury” Tony observed.

He had been with Steve and Fury during all the conversation. After all, he was the one who had falsified (Y/N)’s documents, and he wanted to be there when they informed her about the mission.

Fury sighed, exasperated: “It’s called discipline, Tony. He could have ruined this mission”

“But he didn’t, did he?” Tony looked at Steve for some help, but he remained silent, his eyes fixed on Fury.

“What’s the problem, Rogers?”

“I’m glad you asked. My problem is also about discipline and trust” he answered.

Then, he threw to the table a file he had been carrying during the whole reunion.

The name of the file was “(Y/N)’s results”

 

_____________________________

{Moscow, Russia}

WARNING: Smut ahead!

_[Demons, Fatboy Slim, Macy Gray] or [Kettering, The Antlers]_

 

“Hey” (Y/N) said, stepping into the hallway. “No need to knock. Come in”.

Pietro stepped inside her room, aware of the electricity in the air the moment he stepped through the entrance. It was like a crackling in the air.

Perhaps that was what it was like when people said they felt fireworks going off.

(Y/N) emitted a tiny gasp when she noted the familiar glazing over in his eyes. She tossed her hair onto her neck and rested her hands on the bottle of wine he was holding.

“What’s this for?”

“I wanted to wish you good luck for tomorrow”

Her heart twisted and sunk with nerves as Pietro mentioned her mission.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked, feeling her nervousness.

“I prefer not to” she whispered. In her building anxiety she had constructed elaborated rationalizations for why everything would turn out alright, but still the nagging voice in the back of her mind spoke of nothing but doom ahead. She didn’t want to talk about it.

Instead, (Y/N) stiffened herself military and cleared her throat. Remorse was hitting her like a sledgehammer: “I’m sorry about this. Now you’re in trouble because of me. You came here against Fury’s orders and now-“

Pietro silenced her, placing a finger over her lips. Then, he walked up to her slowly and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She let her body sag, her muscles becoming loose. In that embrace she felt her worries lose their keen sting and her optimism raise its head from the dirt.

“I regret nothing” he whispered on her ear.

(Y/N) was about to reply, repeating how he shouldn’t have done that, when Pietro did something unexpected: he reached for the spot along her sweatered flank he knew she couldn’t bear to be tickled in.

She hunched, squirming, out of the way as he rolled past. She let out a laugh and then, she put her hand over her mouth, like she was angry at herself for forgetting what they were talking about.

“It isn’t the big troubles in life that require character” he whispered against her neck as he continued tickling at her sides, “But to meet the petty hazards of the day with a laugh… that requires spirit”

(Y/N) couldn’t stop laughing, her mind far away from the worries of the day. She waved her hand in the air, her flag of peace. She didn’t know why, but the waves of laughter kept coming. She tried to catch her breath and snorted, staring at Pietro wide-eyed, shocked that she would do such a thing, and he suddenly bursted out laughing.

With each surge of laughter, the tension they both had was released.

When Pietro finally stopped, he suddenly realised about their position. (Y/N) had tried to escape by running towards the wall, and now he was pushing her against it, his hips pinning her to the wall. Her scent drifted in through his nostrils, a scent he was quickly becoming addicted to.

His eyes roamed momentarily over her t-shirt. Some of the buttons had unfastened and the collar was down past her shoulders. A tingling sensation disrupted his ruse as the tables turned. She was no more the prisoner of his tickles. Now, he was the one caught in her web.

He leaned slowly, and his tongue brushed the delicate shell of her ear. He blew a light breath over the moist spot, making her shiver.

Her hands slid up under his shirt, her nails digging into his back as he trailed his lips down her neck, roaming over her chest.

He finally pulled back slowly, both of them panting. And when she met his dark eyes, it felt like she was looking into an endless stretch of midnight sky.

Tentatively, (Y/N) rolled her hips against his. Pietro gasped and pressed up into her, burying his face against her neck. (Y/N) rolled her hips again and Pietro’s hands quickly grabbed her waist, stopping it.

“(Y/N)…” he groaned, “You’re tempting greatly my self-control”

She smirked: “I’m not looking for self-control”

As soon as the last word came out of her lips she found herself laying on the mattress. She moved her hair away from the right side of her neck and shut her eyes. She knew what she wanted him to do. And that time felt different. She didn’t any had doubts about it.

As soon as his plump lips imprinted on her neck, she lost all rational thought. She was just consumed at the thought of him and her showing their ever growing love for each other.

Pietro wrapped his arms around her. One inhale of her scent and his brain was on fire. His left hand travelled down her waist, dropping to her thigh, pulling up the skirt that hanged loose just above her knees.

His eyes searched for hers, looking for approval.

She smiled and kissed him back as he knew she would.

As soon as his hand touched her skin, it felt as if his fingers had short circuited her mind in the best possible way.

Pietro was all logic until he touched her skin. Then, something not only stirred in him, but it took over his thinking.

The rest of his world became an unimportant blur that was banished into the far recesses of his mind. The only thing that mattered was touching her more, kissing her mouth, her stomach, her chest…

He tried to be gentle with her clothing, but in a matter of just a few seconds they were all over the bedroom’s floor. He tried not to rip the lace, but it was so hard.

(Y/N) held his wrists and switched positions, hovering over him.

All at once, there was nothing in her mind but Pietro. Kissing, touching, biting and exploring every inch of her body with her mouth, her tongue, her hands... His clothes accompanied hers in no time.

Then, her hand slowly travelled to his boxers. She ran her hand inside, pressing her palm up against him.

Pietro groaned and leaned up to kiss her as his hips moved against her hand.

Then, he rolled over and his hands moved up her back, stopping at her bra. He unclasped it slowly while he kissed her.

His lips were devouring hers. His tongue explored her mouth, her neck, her ears… finding their way down to her breasts, running his tongue along all their curves.

(Y/N) moaned. Nothing had prepared her for that sensations: the tingle in her neck, arms, and hands… That unrestrained passion, urgent and desperate…

She wrapped her legs around his torso, pushing down the waistband of his boxers while Pietro’s hand reached her panties.

She could feel herself blush and prickles of pleasure moving through her as he slipped tentatively one finger inside of her.

“Pietro” she moaned against his neck, as she began rocking her hips against his hand, He added a second finger and began increasing the speed. She let out a loud cry as her back arched.

When she felt Pietro bucking against her thigh, she reached for his hand and stopped it.

He understood. (Y/N) felt a gust of wind as Pietro returned with a condom. Meanwhile, she slid down the last piece of underwear that was left.

 

He hovered over her and whispered her name as their bodies touched and, slowly, became entwined.

His hips jerked forwards, their hearts fusing into one, while their bodies moved to the rhythmic sounds of the murmurs of sweet words in their ears.

He cupped her face and looked at her (E/C) eyes. In those moments, he loved her with his eyes as much as with his body.

She moaned louder as he thrusted deeper, moving faster, caught between the intoxication of the climax, his tongue carving every inch of her body like a chisel.

Lost in time.

“Pietro!” (Y/N) moaned as she felt a coil of tight pleasure tightening in her, causing Pietro to groan.

He held her against him as release took her.

“Oh god“, Pietro buried his head into her wild hair, screwing his eyes shut, lips parting as he whispered her name.

Then, without control, their bodies exploded, leaving them limp, laying still, arms and legs tangled, listening to the satisfied sounds of the beating of their hearts…

 

Deep into the silence of the night

 ______________________

They laid naked under the duvet, Pietro’s arm draped over her waist, her head buried in the crook of his neck and shoulder. He glided his hand over her skin to her face, brushing away come (H/C) locks over her eyes.

“Have I ever told you I love you?”

“No, uh, uh” she shook her head and fought away a grin.

Pietro’s hand cupped her cheek.

“Well, I do, and you know what? I will always will”

She dropped her gaze before meeting his, and there was an intensity to it… like his love was kerosene and she was his only flame.

When they broke eye contact, (Y/N) leaned forwards, her warm breath in his ear. She began humming, dulcets tones creating a wordless melody, a song she had heard Pietro humming to her until she felt asleep.

She kept on humming until he took her in a bear hug and kissed her, slowly drifting away to a reassuring Neverland.

______________________

{Following day; Moscow, Russia}

(Y/N) stared at the blank white wall in front of her and tried to review her notes in her mind. She felt the tension and anxiety build up in her as she stared blankly, her mind full of emptiness.

Before the panic could eat her alive, she managed to catch up on subtle breathing exercises to help her relax. She also tried to remember Pietro’s comforting words just some moments ago… She remembered last night…

She pushed away that thoughts, as soon as she felt the heat growing in her cheeks. She needed to stay focused.

Just as she regained her steady heart beat by breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, she heard the familiar continual tap of her heel against the floor, and her pulse rate shot up once again, upon realizing what was nearing.

A tall and formal man approached her and gestured towards the door in front of her.

“Go to the room” he commanded.

(Y/N) stood up almost too quick, sending a sharp searing pain along her ankle as she painfully jerked on the glass table in front of her while getting up.

Though the words that the man had just uttered were almost inaudible for her amidst the tense atmosphere, she could clearly understand what was awaiting her.

The walk to the interview room felt almost non-existent as her mind filled with the million possibilities of what could go wrong during that interview.

Her mission.

As she approached to the slightly open door of the room, she found herself biting hard on her bottom lip, filling her mouth with the metallic taste of blood.

As soon as she entered she began scanning the room. It only had one simple table and two chairs. No windows. No paints. And she was alone.

 _The interviewer must be on its way,_ she thought.

She waited patiently, her thoughts becoming erratic with each minute passed the signalled hour. Then, she heard it.

A loud bang which stopped her track of thought.

She had been training enough time to know a gunshot when she heard one. From the loudness, she estimated the shooting was less than fifteen meters away.

She began to search around the room for something that could act as a weapon, or maybe as a distraction. There was nothing.

She headed towards the slightly opened door, and peeked through the crack. There were some men dressed in black running through the corridor. While some of them inspected each of the rooms in their way, others remained outside, keeping an eye on the corridor.

In that moment, they were entering in the room next to hers.

There was no way she could escape without them noticing.

Her fists clenched with blanched knuckles and her heart pounded as one question continued to race through her mind:

What was going on?

WHAT IN HELL WAS GOING ON?

Who were they? Were they enemies?

She closed the door softly. It would be a matter of minutes until they opened it.

She felt the blood leave her skin as a feeling of despair sunk in her chest. The conditions of that fight were obviously unequal. Darkness washed over her, sending chills down her spine.

That was supposed to be a normal interview.

What was happening?

Her panic and anxiety flowed away slowly. She scanned the room one more time. There was absolutely nothing that she could use to defend herself. The chairs would only bother her. But they might be useful as a distraction…

Before she could even move to get one, her eyes rose to the doorknob, which was slowly rotating. The door creaked opened and a gun emerged through it.

Trepidation swelled through her as she threw a quick kick at the hand holding it. The gun flew to the other side of the room. When she looked at the door again, five men who wore masks had already entered the room.

In that frozen second between standing off and fighting, she saw their eyes flick to her. Their faces were unreadable, as hers: no fear, no invitational smirk. (Y/N) searched for any other weapons, but she noticed that only one was now on the other side of the room, far away from their reach.

They had the exits covered and there was nowhere to run.

They encircled her slowly, each of the five taller than her. The one who seemed to be the leader poked (Y/N) in the neck.

“Kill her.”

 

When it comes to the fight, there’s no honour, no code.

 

(Y/N) grabbed the leader’s hand and bent it back to his chin, while punching him in the stomach at the same time.

One of them grabbed her left arm, but she whirled to land one solidly on his jaw, right below his eye. He went down.

Two of the other three held her arms while another hit her in the stomach twice. (Y/N) tried not to pay attention to the burning pain in her stomach and kicked him solidly in the midsection, which knocked the breath out of him. He bent over but didn’t fall.

She kicked him again and pushed the other men back, the three of them going down.

She hit the pavement getting up.

One was on all fours, and she kicked at his chin and landed a hard one on his head.

The other was up and ran towards (Y/N) to tackle her. She stiff-armed him and pushed him to the ground.

While they were regaining their balances, she slipped away, grabbing the gun that none of them had tried to reach, and she headed towards the door.

 

 

There was someone else.

He was a thirty-five or so man. He had prominent cheekbones and a well-defined chin and nose. His face was obscured by a red scraggly beard similar to ravaged ivy tendrils.

She was standing in front of Sergei Dorokhov.

HYDRA’s Russia leader.

 

And he was clapping. It was a loud and insistent applause.

“What the hell?” (Y/N) murmured under her breath.

“Darling, did you really expected to have a normal interview when applying for a job at HYDRA?”

________________________

[Cold, Aqualung]

For Andrei Ivanov, every night was a futile tussle of conflicting thoughts.

He had just spent fourteen hours working. But he didn’t want to sleep. He was not ready to wake up in the morning to rinse and repeat.

He would put on the wrong clothes, he would err in his operations one time after another. But, if he wanted to ensure Susan’s security, he had to continue with that horrible experiments.

Two armed men suddenly came into the lab and took him by his arms. Andrei offered no resistance. He was too tired of fighting.

After some minutes walking through endless corridors, they finally arrived to a room.

Inside the room there was a young woman, her (H/C) floating wildly around her shoulders, her (E/C) eyes looking at him worriedly. Next to her was Sergei Dorokhov, the monster who threatened Susan’s safety. He didn’t care anymore for his own.

Sergei was talking to the young girl, and Andrei tried to overcome his tiredness to hear some of his words:

“Your curriculum is impressive. It’s exactly what we need, (Y/N). And you’ve passed this last test, very satisfactorily may I add.”

“Are we done with your games?” she hissed.

Sergei shook his head impatiently: “You knew what could happen... Nevermind... But, darling, how can I make sure that you’re not working for any other people, like SHIELD, maybe?”

“I only work for myself”

“Prove it”, he said, giving (Y/N) a gun, “We are looking for a brilliant scientist and a good soldier, but we’re also searching for someone with no principles or morals”

He paused, and then added: “You want the job? Kill him.” Dorokhov pointed at Andrei Ivanov.

(Y/N) eyed the weapon with bleak (E/C) eyes. Her blunt hands were steady as they lifted the gun.

Andrei looked at her pleadingly.

He noticed how her watery eyes enlarged and the hairs on the nape of her neck bristled. A gaggle of goose pimples laminated her skin.

Slow and deliberately, she pointed at Andrei with the gun.

Andrei tried to keep his eyes opened, he really did. But it was so hard… he was so tired.

His eyes began to drift close, waiting for the gunshot, with the unexpected calmness that gives the certainty of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Did you liked the chapter?  
> This is my first attempt at writing smut, so I may go back to it and change some things, but I really really hope that you enjoyed the chapter!  
> And... what would you do? Would you kill Andrei to infiltrate HYDRA?
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro humming.
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	20. A good disguise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last! Chapter 20 is here!
> 
> Dear readers, I'm so sorry that the updates are taking so long. I'm at the moment doing practices at the hospital and I barely have time to write. I'll try to update as soon as I can, but it may take a bit.  
> I'm sorry.
> 
> Now, I really hope you enjoy tha chapter!

Her mom always liked to say that we hardly ever know the decisions we make that change our lives, mostly because they are little ones. You took this bus instead of that one and ended up meeting your soul mate, that kind of thing.

But there was no doubt in her mind that what she was about to do would be one of those life-changing moments.

Should she kill a man to infiltrate Hydra? It would be a wonderful opportunity to be a step ahead of them, to save lives…

But that wasn’t the appropriate question.

Would she be able to kill that man?

No, that wasn’t the question either.

Would she be able to kill that innocent man and live with that?

Her gun was pointing at Andrei.

His crying was both ferocious and noisy, waiting for the shot. He blinked briny tears from bloodshot eyes, his thick lashes stuck together in clumps as if he’d been swimming. Clear watery snot streaked form his flaring nostrils down his red mottled skin to his open quivering lips.

 

She knew the answer.

 

(Y/N) turned around slowly and pointed the gun at Sergei Dorokhov, Hydra’s Russian leader. His guards reacted immediately, rushing towards her.

But Sergei stopped them with a single movement of his hand.

She saw the calculation behind every move he made.

He was a technician of a chess player, but so was she. She understood him. The fear he reigned was ebbing, not yet fully under control, but reducing little by little. There was a weakness in the way he postured and it would prove his Achilles heel.

She knew exactly what to do: she needed a good disguise. She might be taking the wrong choice, but… well… she was pointing a gun at Hydra’s leader, there was no way back.

Sergei was standing still, staring defiantly at (Y/N).

Her insides were quivering but her face set hard.

“Respect and trust”, she wouldn’t let her voice falter. “That’s something I demand in a job. There are lots of folks who can talk and talk, but show me a man who walks the talk”

She opened her hand slowly. The gun fell down to the floor, a resounding metallic echo travelling through the room.

“Respect and trust” she repeated, “are mutual. I’ve just shown you mine. So, if we’re going to have this arrangement, do not play me again”. Arrogance was in everything she did and said. It was in her gestures, in the harshness of her voice, in the glow of her gaze, in her sinewy and cold face.

But, on her inside, she was scared as hell.

Sergei remained impassible, his eyes fixed on hers.

(Y/N)’s lethal stare felt painful and piercing. Her eyes had a deadness and a stillness, flashing indignantly. There was a tenseness she wasn’t even trying to mask.

She walked away, curling her fists as she did so, anger radiating from her skin.

There was nothing more to say.

She reached the latch and opened the door. She focused on her steps, each one towards the exit of that building, afraid that she would fall down at any moment.

Afraid of an imminent gunshot.

Afraid of death.

 

Andrei blinked away his tears. Sergei was still petrified, looking at the young girl who had just confronted him.

“She’s feisty one, eh?” said one of the guards holding Andrei. Sergei faced him, his lethal glare shutting him up immediately.

Then, he bent down, picking up the gun and staring at it pensively.

He finally sighed and followed the young girl, leaving the door wide opened as he exited the room.

Was Sergei going to kill her? She had character. She wasn’t scared.

Would he let her live? There was a lightning in her eyes...

 

“That man needs to be killed” Sergei said.

Andrei could hear him perfectly, as well as he heard the clicking of her heels stop.

“Then, we will do it my way” the young girl hissed.

“Which is?”

The silence of the waiting room made Andrei’s blood as cold as the autumnal air that crept through an open window.

 

“Experimentation”

 

The silence after her answer was a poison to Andrei.

Would he give in?

 _“Experimentation”_ , she had said.

Thoughts were racing through Andrei’s brain like a through train, with no intention of stopping.

 

“I want you here tomorrow at eight. Sharp” Sergei concluded.

_“Experimentation”_

That’s when it hit him.

Tears began racing again down his cheeks. It was the kind of desolate sobbing that came from people drained of all hope.

His breathing hitched as his knees grew weak.

 

“You should have killed me”, he whispered, drowning himself in his own hell of tears.

___________________________

**{New York, EEUU}**

That morning every food was cardboard. No amount of chewing made it possible to swallow. Her mouth was dryer than a sandbox in summer. It felt so strange not to hear him running around the tower, bickering with Tony, grinning like an idiot.

Wanda closed her eyes, letting her mind fill with his voice. She could hear him teasing her like he was just feet away.

But if she stopped to dwell for even a fraction of a second she would feel the hole right in her centre.

She was happy for him. She knew he was alright, but she couldn’t help but miss him. That was, after all, their first time being apart from each other…

She took her phone out of her jacket’s pocket and looked at her reflection on the black screen. She looked normal, although there was something missing. She pulled her lips into a smile and let out a frightened gasp when she realised that anyone could easily mistake that lacklustre grin for real happiness.

“I know the difference” a voice startled her.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who that voice was from. But she did, staring at Vision as he sat on the chair next to her.

“I know the difference. And I can feel your emotions” his red hand searched for hers, which were resting on her lap. He took them carefully and began caressing them tenderly.

She smiled a little, a smile with a twist to it, like a small child who was determined not to weep.

Laying her hand atop his, she looked at him, then allowed her restless fingers to touch his face.

She stroked his cheek and his lips parted, her thumb tracing a line along his lower lip. His hand squeezed hers and she felt his breath on her thumb, a slow blink signalling his desire.

Slowly but inexorably, Vision pressed his lips to Wanda’s.

It was soft and gentle and chaste, and maybe there were no fireworks or sparks, but it was better than that. It was a wave of warmth that filled Wanda up, spilling out from her heart.

When they pulled apart, Vision pressed his forehead against hers.

“Maybe we should take advantage of the situation to think of a way to break this” he pointed between the two of them, “to your brother”

Wanda sighed. She wasn’t sure of how would Pietro react to the news, even thought, as Natasha said, _“It was obvious from the beginning”_

“Well…” she whispered, but her phone began to buzz, notifying an entrance call.

___________________________

**{Moscow, Russia}**

“Come on Wanda, pick it up” Pietro hissed.

Cold sweat glistened on his furrowed brow. His hand was clasped tightly in front of his stomach as he constantly fiddled with his knuckles.

He kept on pacing up and down, waiting for Wanda to answer, as if determined to wear out a thin trail in the carpet.

“Pietro?”

He sighed with relief.

He didn’t had much time.

“Wanda, “rotten-olive operation” is in progress. I’m in his room.” he whispered as he peeked at the closed door.

“Anything that could demonstrate that he’s from Hydra or any other organisation: papers, documents, emails if there’s a computer…” she enumerated.

“There isn’t”

“Then letters… I don’t know, just have a look at it.”

“I’m at it. Don’t hang up” he murmured.

He ran through a list of places in his mind, checking off the ones he had already searched before calling Wanda. As he gazed around the room, he noticed that it now had the look of a place that had been burgled. Then, it occurred to him that people often found things as they tidied up, so he set about the task with a sort of meticulousness that was quite uncharacteristic of him.

As he sifted and sorted, his eyes were constantly on the look-out for any object that might be part of the picture frame he was looking for.

“Wanda, there’s nothing. All the document I’ve found are from SHIELD. No strange keys or clothes or… Agh! I don’t know what else to look for! There’s nothing!” he whispered angrily.

“How many time is left?”

“Not much. He’s having breakfast. I took the keys from the pocket of his coat without him noticing.”

“Maybe he’s not with Hydra…” Wanda wondered.

“There’s definitely something wrong going on with him, and I’m going to find it” he stated stubbornly.

“Maybe some photos” Wanda added.

He had seen some photos on his night stand. They were inside an envelope. He hadn’t considered them important, but… well… there was nothing else left.

“I’m searching”

Pietro took out the photos and had a look at them. They all showed different places, landscapes, buildings… Beautiful, but not useful.

It was only when there were only two photos left, when he realised of something. Oliver didn’t appear in a single photo.

Except for the one he was holding in that very moment.

Oliver was standing in front of a house.

An old house.

It looked like a miniature fairy book castle after a typhoon had passed by. The main body of the house was a rectangle, but added on were curved portions that looked like towers with grey peaked roof tops. The outside of the old house was covered in a kind of red tile that had been ripped away in places to expose the wooden skeleton beneath, and part of the roof had also been torn off. The windows still maintained their colourful glasses.

All the colour glasses of each window combined elegantly, resulting in flowers. They were white, and the yellow nectar looked sweet. The petals fanned widely over the canvass.

Perhaps, that little kingdom was once loved and the owners prepared it to weather a storm before departing, only to find on their return that it had become a structurally unsound wreck.

That wasn’t definitely a house of interest.

Why would Oliver have a photograph of it, with him smiling on it?

He took that photo and put it away on his pocket; it was worth than having nothing.

Then, he finally looked at the last photo.

It was a photo of her.

(Y/N).

She was looking up from her morning cup of coffee. Her warm (H/C) hair and pastel skin made her beautiful pink lips stand out. Her cheeks were rouged and she was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a grey band shirt.

And her lips were lifted upwards. He could feel the warm glow her happiness gave.

Pietro felt the pain at the back of his mind like a pulse, trying to push itself forwards, demanding attention.

“Are you still there?” His sister’s voice startled him.

“Yeah”, he replied. He quickly returned the photos to its place, inside the envelope.

“Found something?” Wanda asked him worriedly.

“Not much. I’m taking a photo where he appears.” Pietro sighed in defeat. “Nothing that could relate him to Hydra, but it could have some meaning…” He doubted it.

“Wanda… It’s as if…”

“As if everything was perfectly in order? Maybe too much?” Wanda finished his sentence.

“Yes!” Pietro nodded pensively, “I’ll call you later, sister. I need to get out of here. Take care.”

When he went out of Oliver’s room, the coast was clear.

Or that was what he thought before speeding off.

________________________

**{Moscow, Russia}**

(Y/N) entered in the apartment. After that interview, she couldn’t risk going back at SHIELD’s central, just in case Hydra decided to keep an eye on her. Stark had been cautious, so he managed to buy a small apartment on the fourth floor of a building not very far from the centre of Moscow. Everything was meticulously explained on the mission’s report she had to read before the interview.

She closed the door slowly and pulled off the coat, throwing it all to a chair.

That was when everything hit her.

That was when all the feelings she had tried to supress came into her mind like an unstoppable herd of horses.

(Y/N) slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins, her head falling down to her knees.

No matter what she did, there was no where she could hide form the thoughts in her head.

That awful moment she thought that Sergei would grab the gun and shoot her.

What was she thinking of? She could have been _killed_! But, in that moment, it had seemed to be the best option.

She was alive… but she had been so close to being killed by her actions.

But that wasn’t the worst part after all.

It was his cry, his desperate sobs. She had heard them before going out the door.

She could feel the cold and slimy fingers just crawling up her spine and squeezing her neck with all the strength they had. She felt as if her lungs were slowly filling with water, as if there was just less space in them for the air. Inflating them felt like pushing up a lead weight on her chest.

 

**Fear**

It’s so human…

 

_“You should have killed me”_

_…._

 

Pietro had never seen (Y/N) so deflated as when he arrived to the apartment.

Her loose shoulders shook, her hands hanging low, making no attempt to conceal or even wipe away her own tears. Aside from her reddened face she was so grey looking and her hair was dishevelled as the park under fall leaves.

He rushed next to her, looking for any injuries she might have, but all he found were bruises in her arms and ribs.

What were they from?

He looked again at her deep eyes and realised, by the way she looked at him, that (Y/N) was having an anxiety attack.

 

(Y/N) tried to focus the image. Pietro. His eyes showed the kind of gentle concern her grandfather used to have. He laid his hand lightly on her shoulder, and instead of flinching, she was soothed by it. He left his hand there and spoke with such a soft voice she felt his words calming her more by the way they were said than the actual words. It felt as if she were wrapped in a blanket of his caring. How could she not consider her actions now that she could she how profoundly affected him too?

Her breath seemed to stutter in her lungs before she let it go, feeling the tension drain from her body, Pietro’s hand still placed on her chest.

After some minutes, her breathing finally returned to normal. When Pietro saw the thick fog in her eyes disappearing, he spoke:

“I came here as soon as I received you message. You said everything was fine. What happened, printsessa?” his voice was full of worry.

(Y/N) took some deep breaths as he told him everything that had happened. Bit by bit.

As she talked, she glanced over at Pietro’s face, smoldering underneath his stony expression. Anger was boiling deep in his system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction.

“These bruises are from them? They forced you to kill a man?!” he shouted, his fists clenched.

“The man is alive. And so am I” she whispered.

(Y/N) looked down at her hands, which where resting in her lap, waiting for it.

Waiting for Pietro to explode, to get angry at her. Waiting to hear him say: _“How could you do that? You should have been more careful!”_

But instead, he put his finger under her chin, raising her head until their eyes met.

“I’ll only ask you for one thing” his voice faltered, “If you have feelings for me, I want you to be as careful as possible with your life” the end of the sentence was just a mere whisper.

“Because it is precious to you?” she asked, a tear strolling down her cheek.

“Yes. Because it is precious to me”

They both paused, looking into each other’s eyes. She swallowed and held her breath.

His eyes searched hers and he leant into her, his lips drawing near, her lips parting to receive them. His hand reached under his hair, below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek.

His eyes revealed more than his words could express. Her lips parted and their breaths mingled.

“That was a difficult decision. As an agent: well done. As your boyfriend: next time, mission goes to hell. Your safety is the priority”

(Y/N) nodded silently, lost again in her thoughts.

“I should call Steve and Clint to tell them what happened” she couldn’t help but letting out a small yawn.

“Tired?” He smiled at (Y/N).

She was exhausted. All the emotional tension had drained her energy.

“No, I’m fine” she muttered, rubbing her eyes fiercely.

“I’ll call Steve and Clint” Pietro stated.

(Y/N) was about to reply that was the one who had to do it, when a blue blur approached her and then disappeared into a room, closing the door. Pietro had taken away his phone.

And she was tired enough to let him make the calls.

____________________

**{New York, EEUU}**

“Okay, fine. Thanks, Pietro. Give her my congratulations. But tell her not to-“

“I’ve already told her.” Pietro sighed.

“Make sure she doesn’t do that again.”

“I will, Cap”

“Thanks, Pietro. We’ll talk later, I have to go.”

Steve hang up and stared at the mobile’s black screen.

 

Everything was fine. (Y/N) was alive.

She had managed to get into Hydra.

 

He felt his heart twisting and sinking with nerves. He tried to breath calmly, but every time he thought about what Pietro had just said, his chest filled with anxiety and worry, knowing, somehow, that there was something wrong.

Knowing, somehow, that a Hydra agent would never let somebody alive after a situation of that kind.

Knowing, somehow, that if (Y/N) was still alive, it was either due to a miracle or something else.

And that something else was what worried him.

____________________

**{Moscow, Russia}**

Pietro stroked her wild (H/C), pulling her to his chest.

“Pietro” she whispered, “I will save Andrei Ivanov.”

“I know” he smiled. He was certain that she would.

“I won’t let him die”

“We will find a way out for him” Pietro murmured into her hair.

 

After some minutes in silence, she spoke again:

 

“Pietro, is Hydra experimentation so cruel and painful?” her voice was filled with fear. They had never talked about it, and she knew that remembering those moments wasn’t be a happy stroll down memory lane for him. But she needed to know…

 

Pietro’s body became rigid. That memories… He was scared of what his past held, all the memories that seemed to never escape him. They were pin point needles, piercing his skin. But he couldn’t scream or fight back, he had to endure the pain as the picture of that days back at Hydra flashed through his mind.

“Sometimes I regret it… but sometimes I don’t.” he paused, thinking about his words, “ It was one of the worst things I had to go through, but, at the same time, it made me the man I’m today. And I’m happy with my situation right now…

But… all those long hours during the experiments… it felt like it was never going to end. As if that torture would be forever…

But it finally ended, and my body was no longer mine. It took some time to find it again. But not only my body… also myself...” His sadness was like a flowing river, cold and unending, “And, if I had to go through it again, knowing what I know now… I’m not sure if I would repeat it again.”

He didn’t want to go deeper into that memories. He didn’t want to remember them again. To remember the pain, the agony, the endless days. He didn’t want to frighten (Y/N), or to add more suffer to the one she already held.

“But then I found you” he smiled, “Not in the best conditions… but I thought you were pretty sexy, so I tried to make sure that time at Wakanda was not the last one I saw you.”

He looked at her with his cocky grin, but her eyes were already red and puffy.

“Hey, don’t look so sad” he poked (Y/N)’s nose and held her closer, brushing a strand of (H/C) hair away from her eyes. She sniffed dejectedly and buried her face in his chest.

“Let’s watch a movie” he proposed.

He stood up and put in the DVD player, joining her back at the couch. She eagerly wrapped her arms around his waist, once again burying her head in his chest. He held her tightly.

“Isn’t this better?” he asked at the middle of the movie. He looked down and saw that she was half asleep, her eyes opening at his question. She barely nodded, her eyes slipping closed again.

The movie finally finished, but Pietro didn’t notice. He was looking at her.

She was so pure.

Just as the first bite of cold wind creeped under her shirt, (Y/N)’s hand moved around his middle, warm and soft. In seconds her body moulded to his own, sharing her body heat as easily as she shared her heart.

He could never let another person close to him like that, but she was so different…

He had never known a person to always have the right motivations, even when they were wrong. There was a purity to her, naivety perhaps… but she was the only person who had showed him that the hole a wound left, was the place where the light entered again.

_________________________

Oliver looked around again. A co-worker had given him his keys, which he found on the floor. It was something that could happen to everybody, but, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel worried about it.

Had someone been inside his room?

Everything was in its place, but, at the same time, there was something out of place. He began checking all his belongings, trying to find the traces of that invisible intruder.

But everything was where he left it.

 

Until he say (Y/N) smiling over a cup of morning coffee. She looked adorable, as always. But her smile hurt him. It always did. The pain had an unpleasant warmth to it, searing through his memories better than a branding iron.

And that was the reason why he always left that photo the last one.

Never the first.

 

**Never**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chess board is ready.  
> Every team has its figures in their position.  
> How dreadful...to be caught up in a game and have no idea of the rules...
> 
>  
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro cuddling with Pietro to watch a film!
> 
> Love you all,  
> Alice Maximoff


	21. Don't lose hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last another chapter! YAY (and chapter 22 is coming out soon)  
> Thanks for your patience and wonderful comments!  
> Enjoy darlings!

[Back to the Start- Digital Daggers]

The chemicals in his blood felt more like a leech in his cranium, sucking his ability to keep his eyes open and his brain switched on. The world blurred like a painting caught in the rain too soon. Random images seemed to float aimlessly around in the pool of his thoughts, as though they were being blown by a viciously hurricane.

A soft sound momentarily brought him back to the outside world. He tried to remain alert, but everything simply felt low resolution, a bad quality movie.

Until he saw her.

Until Pietro saw (Y/N).

All the memories came violently into his mind..

He jerked upright, panicked, but his wrists refused to move. Something sharp and cold dug into Pietro’s skin. He looked down and saw there were handcuffs holding his hands to the table. Searing fiery bursts pulsated through his head, intensifying with each movement he did, desperately trying to get rid of that handcuffs.

Black mists swirled at the edges of his eyes.

He closed them tightly. He couldn’t black out.

_No_

He opened his eyes and looked again at (Y/N). That time, the image was less blurry.

She was standing still, her body shaking violently. Her noisy sobs echoes through the empty room.

“What are you doing here?! THEY WILL KILL YOU! Save yourself (Y/N)!” Pietro hissed, fear travelling through his veins. She shouldn’t be there. She had to get out of that place.

But (Y/N) didn’t move. She just raised her arms, embracing herself. Slow desolate tears ran from her unblinking eyes and dripped steadily into her white shirt.

Pietro bit the handcuffs, desperately, feeling an odd coldness on his tongue. He tried to move his legs but one of them was attached to a chain that was deep buried on the cement floor.

He tried to push away the pain, but he felt his cheeks getting wet with tears. But it wasn’t just about pain. If he didn’t do anything they would catch her. They would torture her.

“Please. Leave. Tell the others… Tell the others it was all a trap. Save yourself!”

But (Y/N) remained in the same position.

“(Y/N)!” he shouted, waiting for a reaction.

“She’s won’t answer. I told her not to” a voice spoke.

Pietro tried to focus his sight, pushing away the black mists at the edges of his vision. And that was when he saw him. Hidden in the shadows.

In his intense silence, Pietro somehow screamed with his whole body. His eyes wide with horror, the mouth rigid and open, his chalky face gaunt and immobile, fists clenched with blanched knuckles and the nails digging deeply into the palms of his hand.

“DO NOT DARE TO TOUCH HER.” Burning rage hissed through Pietro’s body like deathly poison, fury sweeping off him like ferocious waves. “IF YOU HURT HER I SWEAR I’LL KILL YOU”

Pietro struggled again, trying to get rid of the chains that held him prisoner. He tried using his powers, but the cold and hard metal remained impassive in spite of his efforts.

“Pietro, I won’t hurt her”, the man smiled, approaching (Y/N), “But **she** will hurt you. Won’t you, soldier?”

(Y/N)’s sobs stopped. When she raised her head and looked at Pietro there was no trace of tears, not in her eyes or in track marks on her reddening face. Her eyes were rigid, cold and hard.

She nodded.

____________________________

**7 DAYS BEFORE**

**[Moscow, Russia]**

In his sleep Pietro was angelic, his face as fresh as a dew drop, making gentle snuffling noises as he breathed. Serenity was plastered across his face.

(Y/N) stared at him and a swell of affection burst within her.

Sleeping had given her some time to recover from her shocking experience at the Hydra base. She had been wondering how to continue from there on, and she knew exactly what to do. It was all planned around one single thought: “I will save Andrei Ivanov”.

And Pietro… he was the one who had given her the energy she needed, new hopes… Strength. Looking again at his angelic face she couldn’t resist it anymore.

As stealthy as she managed, (Y/N) climbed upon his lap, hovering her weight above him, being careful not to wake him up.

Slowly, her hands caressed his chest teasingly, moving down to his stomach, her hands flying over his skin as if they were feathers, to finally stop at the border of his pants. Her mouth followed the trail of her hands. The kisses became flicks of her tongue against his pale skin, intermittently biting the flesh and grazing her teeth.

Pietro’s body moved as delicious shivers ran down his spine, like a bolt of electricity. His lips curved into a sly smirk as he opened his eyes slowly, trying to get used to the sunlight that came through the window.

He attempted to question what was happening, but as soon as he did, (Y/N) placed her lips over his, lightly, silencing him.

Pietro moved his hands to her thighs, squeezing and caressing them.

She knew well enough that once she kissed her neck, his resistance would crumble. After a few delicate touches of her warm lips his hands fell down to the bed as his head swam, all previous thoughts stopped in their tracks.

Her lips curved into a grin as soon as she heard his strangled moans, giving away the undeniable pleasure he was feeling as her lips trailed down his throat; kissing, nipping, licking…

Pietro inhaled deeply and gritted his teeth. Then, in just one second, he was the one hovering over (Y/N), pushing the back of her hands against her pillow, his mouth passionately over hers.

When he finally pulled apart, (Y/N) hesitantly looked up at him. The swirls of emotions she saw on his eyes made her gasp. She felt her blush deepen under his scrutiny. However, before she could ponder about it further, he yanked her to him and covered her mouth with his in another hungry kiss. His mouth was warm and caressed her lips softer than she could have imagined.

She felt a smoldering heat deep within her as Pietro’s grip tightened, crushing her body to his, gentle yet firm. While pressing his body and continuing gazing within his eyes, he begun kissing her now frail neck, which made her even weaker than before.

“It seems someone is on the mood of kicking” a light lick traced her collarbone, “some Hydra asses today”.

(Y/N) smiled and closed her eyes, her body shivering with pleasure.

“You have no idea” she grinned.

Pietro twined her fingers between his, squeezing them tightly.

“I certainly saw that coming” he murmured.

__________________________

 

From the cells came hysterical crying, the screaming sobs only interrupted by the person’s need to draw breath. It was a primal sound, one we’re programmed not to ignore.

(Y/N) tried to shut them down, but the emotional pain she felt when hearing them, when hearing a person suffering because of Hydra’s brutal experimentation… it didn’t felt the way a cut or bruise does. It didn't sit at the back of her mind like a pulse… it pushed itself forward, demanding attention. Those screams cut her heart and mind in half. And with her emotional pain came the anger.

A burning fury hissed through her body, demanding a release in the form of violence against the man in front of him: Sergei. The only thing that kept her away from doing that was Sergei’s near fate. But if she her plan to work out, she needed to follow some rules meticulously.

The first rule was complete indifference. She needed a mask of complete indifference. She knew that if she let a fraction out of controlling her emotions the rest will follow.

Meanwhile, Sergei Dorokhov continued showing (Y/N) the installations until they finally arrived to a tiny room. The furniture looked as if it was from the set of a futuristic science fiction movie: sleek metal frames, smooth lines, nothing excessive, minimalistic, chairs with steel wires and streamlined, designed to fit into compact spaces.

Sergei gave (Y/N) a bunch of papers.

“Here’s where Andrei left the investigation. Have a look at it. You’ll begin with his experimentation tomorrow.”

(Y/N) nodded. Sergei was about to exit the room when he added: “I told the boys to bring you some coffee. It’ll take you a while to read all that.”

(Y/N) looked at the coffee placed on the desk and took a sip of it. Nothing too special, but enough to keep her awake. It was served in polystyrene and the taste was bitter.

(Y/N) sighed. The coffee suited the place, it matched the cold walls and furniture, and it was as welcoming as the unguarded strip lights and the worn carpet. And, while drinking it, she couldn’t help but think that the only thing alive on that installations seemed to be the tickling clocks.

____________________

For a moment, the world was a blur of dull colours. Then, as he properly awoke, everything came into focus.

But Andrei Ivanov wished it hadn’t, for he found himself once more in his dark cell. Chains were around his ankles and wrists, holding him prisoner to the solid brick wall behind him. Every time he so much as shifted, the chains made echoing noises that seemed to go on forever.

His skin was sickly; pallid and stretched over his shaky bones, for he had not eaten properly for some months. His feet were bare and grubby, and all he wore over his frail body was a set of ragged robes.

He had no idea of how long it would take before he was released, or, even worse, experimented on.

But what he hated the most was the fact that his cell was completely dark. His shoulders barely sunk below the level of the ground and he felt himself sucked into a darkness so total that he couldn’t be sure he had eyes.

His heart thumped in accordance with slow, shallow breaths.

His consciousness ebbed, his mind going into free fall.

So, when he felt a hand in his shoulder and another over his mouth so that he wouldn’t shout, all hopes, dreams and feelings from within him were replaced by despair, hopelessness and most of all fear.

“I want you to pay attention to me” a feminine voice whispered.

It took him some seconds until he realised who she was: she was the young girl, the new assistant of Sergei, the one who had defied him.

“I’m going to get you out of this place. Safe and sound. It will take me seven days. I won’t experiment on you, but you must make sure they don’t notice.”

Andrei nodded, tears of gratefulness sliding down his cheeks.

“Don’t lose hope” he heard her whisper before she melted with the shadows of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god. Just seven days or WHAT  
> Which means seven chapters till the end (?) of the story  
> And... there'll be a surprise waiting for all of you at that "end"!!
> 
> I know this chapter was a little bit shorter but I wanted to write about the events that happened in just one day.  
> But I really hope you liked the chapter! 
> 
> And, to everyone out there and in relation to the recent violent events all over the world...   
> Be safe.   
> Be strong.   
> Because we are so many, and we won’t give up.
> 
> Love you all.
> 
> Alice Maximoff


	22. She's something else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in less than 1 hour (new record!) !  
>  OH GOD. 6 days left...
> 
> Enjoy!!

“This way, Captain!” Tony shouted as he flied along the corridor with Vision.

Steve nodded in acknowledgment and followed their gruelling pace without complaint.

Gunshots were heard away from them, where the others Avengers were fighting against Hydra’s soldiers.

He continued running forwards, his limbs moving on their own, following Tony and Vision. They were both trying desperately to find the room were (Y/N) and Pietro were, the first one using his armour’s heat radar while Vision tried to reach their minds, or even just a single thought that could tell them their location.

In every mission, Steve tried to remain as calm as possible, not letting his feelings take over the situation. But that time he felt as though his blood was on fire.

His heart pounded in his chest as fast as a single thought raced in his mind:

“ _How could you, Steve Rogers?”_

_Why didn’t you notice before?_

_How could you promise her complete protection and then leave her into the hands of the enemy, into the hands of Hydra?_

_How could you?!_

_Damn it!_

Things he felt he should have done, coupled with his perceived failures dominated his mind. Festering guilt rendered his mind ineffective.

“Captain, that won’t help us right now. We will decide the repercussion of our past actions later. Right now we need to save them.” Vision’s voice filled his mind.

Steve nodded as he continued running, gunshots echoing along the corridor.

“That door!” Both Tony and Vision shouted, gesturing towards a white door.

They were about to enter when…

___________________

**6 DAYS BEFORE**

[New York, EEUU]

Everyone stared at Steve expectantly.

“We’re going on a mission. Clint will also join us. Another Hydra base has been detected in Mexico. We’re going to shut it down, just as we did with the others Tomorrow.”

“Shouldn’t it be better to wait? I mean, (Y/N) is already sneaking in that Hydra base to get to know Hydra’s evil plans. If we just waited for a few weeks we could…” Tony wondered, but Natasha cut him off.

“We should act as always. If the Avengers found out there’s an operative Hydra base at Mexico they would go after it. If our actions are determined by (Y/N)’s mission it will soon become obvious that something is going on.” While she spoke she looked at the Avengers reunited in the room, who nodded their heads in approval.

“Where’s Bruce?” Wanda asked. She knew she could easily get the answer by reading any mind of the Avengers in that room, but she had made herself a promise of respecting her teammate’s privacy, as long as it didn’t affect someone’s well-being.

“He’s talking to (Y/N)”

…

“That’s… Oh god, I don’t even know what word should be suitable to describe that…”

The sigh Bruce heard was weary and resigned. It was a sigh so quiet that it went unnoticed, but the meaning and feelings it contained wasn’t just but the start of all that horror.

“I know Bruce. They are giving all these people a drug created by Andrei himself to improve their physical capacities. It reminds me of Steve’s super soldier serum, and even if the result is far away from the one obtained with Steve, it still works in some way. That people could take some of Steve’s punchs. The higher the dose is, the more number of punchs until they end up exhausted… This is crazy, Bruce. They will continue fighting until there’s no more energy left in their system.”

“Are they volunteers, as the twins were?”

“No, they are being experimented on against their will.”

Bruce felt a vexing inside him, twisted and distorted, but strong. It burned like fire lacing his veins and creeping up his spine: anger. He was beginning to get intoxicated with that emotion. And he knew what would come next. He took some deep breaths, pushing that feeling at the back of his mind, trying to focus on other thoughts:

“How does Hydra does it? How can they convince that people to fight for them until their last drop of energy? As far as I know, the sceptre is well guarded, far away from all of us…”

“Well, that’s something I don’t understand either. That’s why Steve wanted us to talk.” She paused for some seconds, “I read on the file it’s because of the abstinence effect.”

Bruce’s fingers curled tightly around the pencil he was holding. That was the last straw. How could they? How could they be so inhuman?

(Y/N)’s words fuelled the fire that burned inside of him, while his fists clenched and his jay rooted.

“That scums of humanity…” he hissed, “(Y/N), the abstinence effect may seem something trivial, but depending on the drug used and its effect, it can become a very powerful incentive. It’s a primal need you can’t avoid. It doesn’t happen with all drugs, but with some of them, your body demands more. You become used to them and your body needs them. And when I say need, I really mean it. There’s a strong physical and psychological dependence”

“A dependence so strong as too kill someone, Bruce?” (Y/N) asked softly.

“As strong as to follow someone’s orders blindly as long as they promise you more drugs. It’s not only the need, it’s the pain you feel if you don’t take them.”

Their silence somehow spoke for itself. The silence was a cruel void, underscoring how sad their conversation had become.

“I’ll send you the pills as soon as I have access to them. That way you can examine them and search for a way to stop that effect”.

Bruce nodded absently, but soon answered when he realised she couldn’t see him.

“They won’t get out of this, Bruce. There’s also another leader, called Baron Zemo. I haven’t met him, put all of them will pay for what they’re doing”

“And what about you (Y/N), are you alright?”

If that conversation had affected him in such way, he couldn’t imagine how sad and infuriating that situation would be for the young Avenger.

“I’m making sure of that, doctor” an accented voice spoke. Pietro.

Bruce smiled.

Of course Pietro would be by her side.

_________________

“So, how’s Speedy doing at Russia?” Natasha asked Wanda as they exited the room and headed to the gym for their daily training.

“He continues his training over there. We talk every day and, at the moment, he’s doing well” Wanda answered.

“You know, the first time I saw Pietro, I would have betted all my money on him being a casanova. But then… he fell head over heels for (Y/N) and wouldn’t leave her side” she laughed, “I must admit I’m not a person who usually loses bets”

“It also surprised me” Wanda smiled. She couldn’t help but think about her life some years ago, before they became simple experiments of Hydra. She remembered her brother, considering all the things from their past that used to happen all the time… “You should have seen him at Sokovia. He was always flirting with the girls, complementing them, giving them some dresses or whatever he managed to steal…

The thing is that, the way our parents raised us in love matters was the exact opposite of that attitude.

Giving dresses or some other gifts that meant nothing at all… boasting about his appearance in order to earn some gasps and winks… Complementing the girl’s appearance or clothes…

That wasn’t what we were taught about relationships. Our mother and father never did that.

Diamond rings, expensive dresses… we never saw that extravagant yet superficial acts. That was not their way.

They taught us that it was in the small things that one showed love for the other: the manner you addressed that person, the way you touched or held their hand, the way you talked to them... Small but meaningful acts that showed how deeply you cared for that person. That was the only teachings we had from our parental figure to guide us in such matters.

So when they weren’t with us anymore, we cared for each other the way they explained us. That’s when I realised that, when Pietro did such things with the girls he met, it was just because they were a “distraction” for him. He didn’t have romantic feelings towards them, but it was always flattering to make a girl blush”

“And then (Y/N) came” Natasha smiled tenderly as Wanda nodded.

“And then the most unexpected person came at the most unexpected time. And I expected Pietro to act as he did with any other girl. Nothing more than flirting, maybe kissing…”

Wanda closed her eyes and smiled, letting her memories free and aiming them towards Natasha.

 

_(Y/N) had just entered the room where all the Avengers were having some beers, talking and laughing…_

_“So I thought that…” Wanda was explaining but her brother wasn’t listening anymore. His eyes were fixed on the young avenger, who had just seated next to her brother and Thor._

_Pietro bit his lip and Wanda couldn’t help but take a little peek inside his mind._

_“Just start a conversation, Pietro. Oh god, but what can I say!”_

_In that instant he turned and caught (Y/N)’s eyes; before she could turn away with shyness a genuine grin spread across his face._

_Pietro wanted to know her more. Even more than he’d ever felt before._

_“Pietro, it’s been three days, why don’t you go and have a shower. You really stink” Wanda nodded as Clint continued speaking, “We’ll take care of her while you’re gone”_

_“No way” Pietro shook his head._

_“Pietro, just…” but he cut Wanda off._

_“I’m not leaving this room, and that’s all I have to say”. Pietro then looked at (Y/N), who was lying in her hospital bed, still in coma due to her heroic act at Sokovia._

_He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. He brought it to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon it._

_But it was cold. And she wasn’t smiling or blushing as she would when he kissed her hand._

_And all that he could feel were the hot and warm tears burning in his eyes._

_“Pietro! Oh my god!” Wanda couldn’t help but laugh. She felt the same way he did._

_He was running around his room, blue and silver trails flashing as he swirled, jumped and fell down one time after another on the floor. And while he did that, he couldn’t help but to shout the reason of his happiness:_

_“(Y/N)’s alive!”_

_Wanda could hear his sweet, joyful laughter even if he had been a mile away. It echoed through the room and into each and every room of the tower._

_And it was at times like that that she loved to see his old brother acting in such a childish way._

_Even if he was 12 minutes older than her._

_“Pietro, just ask her out” Wanda exclaimed, walking around her room, annoyed by her brother constant questions about every single detail about (Y/N)’s reactions whenever he was around, or about if the sentence he had just said was adequate or (Y/N) would think he was a fool…_

_“I can’t” Pietro exclaimed._

_“Since when does the Pietro Maximoff I know worry whether a girl likes him or not?” Wanda asked teasingly._

_Pietro sighed and gave her a meaningful look: “You know she isn’t just “a girl”. She’s... something else… I cannot describe it but I want to discover it”_

_“Wanda, do you remember the necklace mama gave you, and the ring she gave to me?”_

_“Of course I do, brother. They were some of the few things we could save from home.”_

_“You know mama told me to give the ring to someone I…” Pietro stuttered._

_“Are you thinking about…?” Wanda’s eyes widened._

_Pietro nodded and Wanda smiled warmly at him._

_“Will it be too soon?”_

_“She will love it, Pietro”_

_The corners of his mouth lifted up into a smile._

_“Oh my god!” Wanda squealed and pulled her brother into a bear hug, squeezing him tightly as if she could transmit him all her happiness for that news just by pressing him even harder._

_Pietro let his smile widen into a brilliant grin as he returned the hug._

_And he couldn’t help but laugh, feeling absolutely delirious._

Natasha smiled tenderly, her eyes shining as she finished seeing the images going through her mind.

“She was the one. And he knew it too. How could he act the way he did with every other girl when she made him feel something none of the other girls had?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... did you like the chapter?!
> 
> 6 days left...
> 
> I know, there're still a lot of little things unresolved, but you will eventually find out about them.   
> And watch out for the small details in these last chapters!...
> 
> Next chapter will take me a bit more, as if've got some finals in a few weeks, but I'll try to update it as soon possible.
> 
> Comments are better than training with Pietro! ;)
> 
> Love you all,
> 
> Alice Maximoff


	23. This is not a dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: An update?! At last! Exams are officialy over, so I'll be able to update more frequently!  
> So, here it is Chapter 23.
> 
> Prepare for drama, and take note of the small details...
> 
> Whenever you see this through the chapter: [ ], inside will be written the music I recommend you to hear while reading that part. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_[Possibility; Lykke Li]_

 

Pietro would always remember that time when he was in a blind in a tree, waiting motionless for game to wonder by. At some point, he dozed off and fell ten feet to the ground, landing on his back. It was as if the impact had knocked every wisp of air from his lungs, and he laid there struggling to inhale, to exhale, to do anything.

That was how he felt like in that moment: trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, utterly stunned as their words bounced around inside his skull.

“Pietro…” Wanda whispered. She sat down on the sofa next to him.

Pietro looked at her. Her red, tear-rimmed eyes stared back at him, with watery streaks falling down her pale face. She tried to smooth her chaotic hair and wiped the tears from her cheeks, which were becoming blotchy and mottled.

But all that Pietro could feel was a complete and utter numbness.

 

_No._

_That couldn’t be true._

 

(Y/N) had to be in the tower, with him… with them. After that conversation he would go to her room and find her laying on her bed while reading one of her favorite book.

Everything that had happened was a nightmare. It was one of his nightmares of sorts, more vicious than most, more lucid. But it was time to get out of whatever that dream was.

Wait.

Something was wrong. His body was shaking but the ground was still. The daylight was gone; the heat was gone.

He felt different.

His limbs weren’t the same, weaker. Pain radiated from his chest towards every single cell of his body. Tears began flowing unchecked down his cheeks and dripped from his chin.

Why was he crying?

 

“ _Pietro, this isn’t a dream”_

 

“NO!” he cried as if the ferocity of it might stop all the voices inside his mind.

“Pietro, I- “, Steve murmured, but he was suddenly propelled against the room’s wall. A fist slammed into his face and blood pooled in his mouth as Steve gagged.

Pietro observed how his fists punched Steve again.

What was his body doing?

There was blood in his knuckles and a bruise above Steve’s right eye, yet he couldn’t stop.

He was losing his mind. He could feel it unraveling, the threads of every happy memory he could ever once recall, all but a disarray of strings scattered about his feet.

 

_“This isn’t a dream”_

 

His sharp knees dug into the earth as he hit the ground, his hands unsteady as they silently claw at the air. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out, his head violently quivering as if there was a drill to the back of his skull.

 

_“This isn’t a dream”_

 

“ **Why didn’t you protect her?!** ”  Pietro cried as if his brain was being shredded from the inside.

Emotional pain flowed out of his every pore.

Tony tried to hold Pietro back, to calm him, even as his own tears fell thick and fast but in his hysteria he was too strong, too wild.

 

_“This isn’t a dream”_

 

“Why didn’t you save her?” Pietro whispered between his dry racking sobs.

His eyes couldn’t see anything anymore; they had lost all sight of what was and what could have been. His mouth opened, an eternal silenced scream, tears dripping from his cheeks and onto the ground, stained with the memory of her.

With the memory of the woman he loved.

 

Then he understood.

 

That wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a nightmare.

And (Y/N) was …

___________________________________

**5 DAYS BEFORE**

**[Moscow, Russia]**

Pietro stopped running as he heard the gym’s door opening. He went towards one of the benches placed on the sides and grabbed his bottle of water, gulping some.

“So, what are we doing today?” Pietro smiled and turned around.

His smiled faded as his eyes met Oliver’s.

While he approached, Pietro noticed that he was wearing training clothes: a red sleeveless shirt and loose fitting black pants.

“Where are Eric and Sarah?” Pietro asked.

Eric and Sarah were the trainers that SHIELD had assigned him when arriving at Russia. They were very nice and encouraging, but Pietro had grown fond of Clint’s trainings and methods, and, even though he wouldn’t admit it in front of anyone, he preferred without any doubt Clint’s sessions.

“Hello Peter. Today I’ll train you” Oliver stated.

_Peter? Really?_

“I’m very concerned about your well-being here in Russia. Therefore, I would like to monitor your training” Oliver’s lips curved in a smug smile.

 _“Yeah, for sure you’re concerned. There’s no way you’re training me”_ Pietro thought.

Oliver’s presence seemed to buzz around him like a fly that one can never swat. Every word, movement and breath Oliver performed seemed to infuriate him to no end. He wouldn’t be able to spend an hour with that measly agent.

“I really appreciate you worry for my well-being, Orlin, but I wouldn’t want you to waste a wonderful and productive afternoon training me. I can entertain myself with something else” He imitated Oliver’s smug smile.

“Like breaking into rooms?” Oliver’s smile had become a rigid and pale line.

_Oh._

_So he **knew**_.

Pietro had tried to be careful, but someone must had seen him some days ago, when he went into Oliver’s room to look for some clues. Any trail that might link Oliver with Hydra. Which he didn’t find. The only thing of interest he found was a photograph of an old house, which he had taken with him and sent to Wanda.

“I’m going to train you”, his words were firm and categorical, “and we begin now, Preston.”

For a moment, Pietro thought of speeding off the gym.

He didn’t want to train with that pea-brain, but if he didn’t, Oliver would tell Fury about it. And after all, Pietro’s situation was delicate. He had disobeyed Fury’s orders, and he wasn’t sure if Fury would take it anymore.

In some other situation he wouldn’t have mind, but he needed to stay with (Y/N).

They needed each other.

“I’ll happily oblige” Pietro answered with a cold smile. “What are we doing today, Oldrich?”

“Today we fight”, Oliver’s cold fury burnt with dangerous intensity, “No powers allowed, unless you don’t see yourself capable of such challenge”

 “You won’t see me coming”

____________________

 

“This is your third coffee this morning” the young boy stated.

(Y/N) smiled at him.

“I don’t really like coffee”, she said, “but I don’t really like it when my head hits my desk when I fall asleep either”

Joseph laughed. Sergei Dorokhov had assigned him to (Y/N); he was responsible of making sure she had everything she needed: papers, carpets, coffee…

(Y/N) was at first reluctant, as she thought that Sergei did it to keep her under surveillance. But when she discovered that her new assistant was a young boy, not older than 17 years, who didn’t really know who he was working for, she decided that she would save him as well as the other innocent people when the time came.

There were only 5 days left… 5 days until the Avengers would dismantle that infernal Hydra base.

The anticipation was a nervous kind of energy. I tingled through her like electrical sparks on the way to the ground, gathering in her toes.

 _“I need to talk to Bruce and Steve as soon as I get home”,_ she thought.

“Are you okay?” Joseph asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay” she stared up at the young boy, still lost in her thoughts, “Would you bring me another coffee so I can take it on my way home.”

“No one would say you don’t like coffee” he smirked.

“This one… It tastes different…”

_____________________

During the first blows, Pietro concentrated on his defense and let his muscles settle into the rhythm of the fight. He had been practicing in the last weeks under his trainer’s supervision and had gotten much better as time passed.

After several minutes of attempting to get past Pietro’s defenses, Oliver lost his temper and began to patter at him as if to pound him into the ground. He had expected a quick defeat and easy humiliation, not an equal opponent, and his simmering anger about Pietro now boiled.

“Don’t hold back or I am going to break you” Oliver snarled at Pietro.

And then, Oliver suddenly threw his body weight behind the fist that edged closer to Pietro’s face. It hit his jaw with such force that blood pooled into his mouth.

Pain erupted from the point of impact.

_What in hell?_

“What are you doing?!” Pietro shouted, “This is just a fucking training session!”

“I can’t get my head around what she sees in you. You’re pathetic” Oliver hissed, standing with hard staring eyes that never blinked.

Pietro’s eyes were a knife in Oliver’s ribs, the sharp point digging deeper. Then, with a quick movement, Pietro’s fist slammed into his face, but Oliver reacted in time and punched him into the stomach in return. They both stumbled apart for a brief second.

“Well, he certainly saw something in me that you don’t have. And there’s plenty to choose. Thanks god she finally realized and left you” Pietro spat.

“Oh” Oliver’s lips curved into a mischievous smile, “So she didn’t tell you why we broke up…”

The unmoving gaze was accompanied by deliberate slow breathing, like Pietro was fighting something back.

Oliver threw another punch at him, but Pietro could avoid it easily.

“Well, I’ll tell you the truth then: I cheated on her” Oliver laughed,

Oliver saw the shock register on Pietro’s face before he could hide it. Taking advantage of the effects produced by his striking declaration, Oliver grasped Pietro’s head in his hands and brought his knee cap up to his nose.

Crimson leaked from both his nostrils.

A small smile played on his lips while he looked at Pietro. He had never seen him look that way; his eyes had a deadness, a stillness combined with cool hatred.

“You **bastard!** ”, Pietro hissed, “What the hell did you do that for?”

“So, you see… If she hadn’t caught me, she would still be wrapped around my finger. There’s nothing you have that I don’t.”

“Oh?” Pietro replied. He wanted to kill that man, “Well, you _tupoy ublyudok,_ listen to **this!** ”.

Pietro stepped forward, left led pulling back and struck out. His instep slammed fiercely into Oliver’s shin with a solid crunch. Oliver yelped, his right leg lifting off the ground, head dropping as he leaned forwards. Seizing the back of Oliver’s head with his fingers, Pietro forced his skull down and rammed his knee upwards into his face as hard as he could. He didn’t mind anymore if he used his powers or not.

Blood came out from Oliver’s nostrils as he fell down to the floor. 

Pietro looked at him. He really wanted to punch him until his knuckles bled. But that scum with a brain the size of a pickled walnut’s words sunk into his him.   

“What you don’t have is respect. And she deserves that more than anything else.”

Then, Pietro turned around and headed home.

_________________ 

_[You found me; The Fray]_

Every new sore stung with the alcohol and hydrogen peroxide being washed in, but it was the only way to avoid infection. Pietro winced as it swirled without mercy, penetrating to the cells that should be protected by smooth skin but were open and raw.

He heard the door opening and then, (Y/N)’s steps towards the bathroom where he was.

 In the light that flowed water-like through the bathroom she saw Pietro. Her face was washed blank with confusion, every muscle of her body frozen. Pietro looked at his arms and shirtless torso. There were great purple welts that would only deepen over the coming hours. Against his ghostly skin they were grotesque, but he knew he was lucky not to have broken bones. Unfortunately, his nose hadn’t had such luck. 

“I’m okay, (Y/N). Just a bit of blood” he tried to play it down. 

(Y/N) was trying not to stare at his nose, but she kept finding her eyes diverted to it, to the bloody mess that had been a perfectly ordinary nose only hours before. His left eye was swollen, his face still bearing congealed blood.

“Who?” anger boiled deep in her system, as hot as lava. 

Pietro remained silence, but finally answered: “Oliver”

Fires of fury and hatred smoldered in her small narrowed eyes. She turned around like an enraged panther. 

“Where are you going?” Pietro asked worriedly. 

“I’ve got in mind a lot of creative means available to kill him” she hissed as she walked towards the door. 

But when she was about to reach it, Pietro appeared in front and slowly pulled her closer to him wrapping his arms around her. His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her body. The world around her melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end. 

“He told me what happened.” Pietro whispered against her hair. He felt how (Y/N) tensed in his embrace. Endless shivers soon followed.

Pietro hesitantly pulled apart and stared at her. 

Her face creased and her fists closed so tight she could feel the sweat trapped inside them. That’s when Pietro heard a sound that stopped his heart. Her shoulders shook as sobs overtook her body. 

“Did he?” her voice faltered, “Did he tell you how he turned every moment we spent together into painful memories? Even the sweet good moments we had are now turned into a knife that pierces my heart, in despite of the time that has passed. Did he tell you how he made me skeptical about people and love? And I hate it. I turned into a broken mess. Did he tell you how he fucked up my confidence, how he made me feel like a waste of space?” Emotions swirled asstreaks of fire burned her cheeks, “And even though this shouldn’t hurt anymore, it does.” 

Her sadness flowed through Pietro’s veins and deadened his mind. He understood perfectly why she had never mentioned him, nor talked about the relationship they had. 

Pietro stroked her long (H/C) hair and pulled her into his chest. He understood the significance of things, why hurtful comments hurt. And the only thing he could do was to wrap her in his love, with his soft arms and tender words. 

“Things end. People leave. People hurt you and pierce holes in your souls. There’s a hole and it hurts. But the wound is the place where the light enters you.  And that light helps you to feel the people who love you, who treat you right, the people who give a bloody nose to the bad ones” Pietro winked at (Y/N), “Falling down is a part of this, but getting back up is living. What I really hope is that you never blame yourself again for what he did. Never.” 

As Pietro stroked her hair, her breathing slowed. Her tears had stopped, leaving only their tell-tale wet track down her face. He could soothe her like no-one else, even her own breaths were deep and even.  

She wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Let’s clean all that blood and heal that wounds” she whispered. 

“They will heal quickly” he smiled as (Y/N) twined her finger between his.

____________________ 

(Y/N)’s eyes were heavy and dropped as Pietro slid into the bed next to her and cuddle her until she was asleep. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. It made him angry, sad but at the same time another realization marveled him.  

The realization that if two points are destined to touch, the universe will always find a way to make the connection, even when all hope seems to be lost for both points. Certain ties cannot be broken, as (Y/N) had told him, but they defined who they were, and who they could become. 

Across space, across them, among paths we cannot predict, there’s always a way. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sooo.... did you like the chapter?
> 
> I must admit something. I've never done this before; throughout these chapters I'm already telling how everything will end... Nonetheless, don't take everything you read for granted... 
> 
> 4 chapters until the grand finale!
> 
> I've already finished my exames, so the updates will be more frequent. I'm planning on posting a chapter each 2 or 3 days.
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro training ;)
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff


	24. A perfect plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A promise is a promise, so here you have next chapter.  
> Enjoy!

The rain fell softly as if it knew of the hardships both behind and ahead. Each droplet alighted on her skin with just enough coolness to command her mind to the present, to pull her away from the pain of the past and the uncertainty of what was to come. The beads over her face joined to wash over her in a delicate cascade of trickles.

She raised her eyes to the grey layer that touched every building top. There was more to come before the skies cleared, of that she could be sure.

“You’re going to get a cold” Vision whispered.

“I don’t mind” Wanda replied. The little droplets of water drenched her hair, skin and red dress, growing larger and falling frequently.

The more anxious Wanda became, the more pronounced her intellectualization of the whole process was. She rationalized and viewed the problem from different viewpoints. Often while she dwelt on the fine details of it, the big picture escaped her.

No matter the path her thoughts took, they always ended up in the same point: there was something wrong.

 **Someone was lying**.

And the memory of her brother’s desolate sobs, which came from a person drained of all hope, gave her the determination she needed.

In that moment, Vision felt an invisible yet powerful force trying to enter into his mind. Into his thoughts.

“Wanda, what are you doing?” Vision asked with surprise.

In a moment, Wanda’s arm tensed and her muscles bulged, and before she knew it, she had effectively smashed the glass she was holding into thousands of shards of sand that fell to the floor with the softest tinkling.

“You’re lying. And if you’re not willing to tell me what happened when you went to rescue (Y/N) and my brother, I’m willing to find it myself” when she turned at last to face Vision there were no trace of tears, not in her red eyes or in the track marks of her reddening face.

Vision felt how the force that fought against the wall around his thoughts pushed harder and fiercely…

He knew it was a matter of time that she realized something was wrong. He had lied to protect her, to protect everyone, but his nature couldn’t give him the strength to maintain that façade anymore.

And so, his walls crumbled under Wanda’s determination.

She deserved to know the truth about (Y/N)’s fate.

________________________

**3 DAYS BEFORE**

**[Acapulco, Mexico]**

In the darkness of the laboratory it was only the under-lit keyboards keys that glowed. They casted a light that seemed to die just inches from the machine, not illuminating anything useful.

Natasha approached the dusty computers. She doubted they had much RAM, but they could contain something useful for them. She pressed the clunky power switch. An orange light glowed dimly on the front. Whatever secrets that Hydra base had been hiding, would all be on there… or so she hoped.

A flashing announcement appeared on an otherwise blank screen: **“Hard drive deletion completed”**

“Damn it!” she hissed, hitting with her closed fist the glowing keyboard, propelling some of the old keys into the air.

She leant back in frustration.

How could they have erased everything in time? That mission had developed secretively and efficiently. None of Hydra’s agents could have had time to delete every piece of information stored in their computers. The avengers had made sure to keep them completely occupied with their own defense.

“Drop your gun” A fearful voice shouted at her back.

Natasha turned around slowly. One of the few Hydra’s agents left was walking towards her. His big boots made a rhythmical noise against the cement floor, solid and regular like a soldier. His face was stern, but the hands which held the gun were trembling.

“I’ve said drop your- “, he repeated, but was suddenly interrupted by a blue, red and white shield that hit him smack in his head.

The man was conscious up until he hit the floor.

Natasha turned around and began tapping the keyboard in a futile attempt to undo the deletion process Hydra’s operatives had programmed.

“Got something?” Steve asked, retrieving his shield and walking towards the Russian agent.

“Nothing” Natasha rested her head in her hands.

It was always the same. Whenever they took down a Hydra base, the operatives had already managed to erase every single document. Even Wanda, reading the agent’s minds with her skills, hadn’t found any definite information.

If it wasn’t because of (Y/N), they would still be in the dark.

Steve looked at the flashing announcement on the screen.

His sigh was resigned and weary.

All their deliberate efforts always ended up in the same point: nothing. No matter how secretive and quick their mission went, they always ended up with no information.

“You already know what I think about all this” Natasha’s words were harsh.

Steve shook his head: “Only a few people know about our missions. I know them and they are not with Hydra”

“I’ve always admired your benevolence, Steve, but I think it might be clouding your judgement” Natasha hardly ever showed emotion, but that time was different. When she voiced her thoughts, a cold fury burnt with dangerous intensity.

“Am I interrupting something?” Tony mocked from the lab’s entrance.

Steve and Natasha glared at him with narrowed eyes as Tony’s lips curved in his characteristic smug smile.

“If you two are done” he showed them a black pen-drive, “I wanted you to know that I’ve managed to get some of their files. They’re encrypted, but well, I’m Tony Stark, duh!”

_____________________

**[New York, EEUU]**

(Y/N) smiled at her friends. She made some small talk with them until everyone arrived.

When Clint entered the reunion room he looked at the image of her sister on the computer’s screen. His lips stretched into a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his dark eyes. They were lit with sadness, and the forced expression of the contrary on his mouth would have looked comical to him if it didn’t make his heart feel heavy. For a few moments he stared at her, almost sure that her expression mirrored his.

He missed her little sister…

He then noticed Pietro and Oliver, which were next to (Y/N). They both had purple welts scattered across their arms like a disease. The bruises that had begun as a purple stain above their eyebrows had sunk into the socket itself, and now had the appearance of a black eye.

He looked at (Y/N), a question lingering in his mind. (Y/N)’s sigh was weary and exasperated.

They would talk about it later.

When all the Avengers were on the room (Y/N) began speaking:

“I wanted to talk to all of you about my plan. I’ve been in this Hydra base working and going through their archives. I’ve got all the information we need about their past, present and future plans, as well as other bases’ locations. I have already sent it to Tony.”

Everybody turned around to look at Tony, who nodded in agreement.

“I have also sent Bruce the pills that Hydra is using on their experiments. I took the ones that were destined for Andrei Ivanov so he can analyze them and find an antidote”

“I’ll get with it as soon as we receive them” Bruce stated.

“Well…” (Y/N) continued, “I don’t want to extend my stay anymore, not when innocent people are suffering because Hydra’s brutal experimentation on them.

It’s time for action. I want all of you here, in Russia, in three days to dismantle this base. For our plan to work out correctly we will need two things: the first one is the surprise factor, the second one is an injection.”

“What for?” Steve asked.

“Andrei’s cell is constantly monitored by, at least, 15 guards. If they hear the shots and know that the Avengers have entered the facility, Andrei will be killed. He knows too much. But they won’t kill him if he’s already dead.” (Y/N) smiled.

“I’ve been working on that injection” Bruce explained. “It’s made of curare toxins. This toxin inhibits reversibly the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor found at the neuromuscular junction…”

Clint cleared his throat meaningfully.

Bruce sighed: “It will slow down his pulse and breathing to the point that he will look death, but not to the point where he will actually die. It would take 8 hours for his organism to counteract the toxin’s effects and go back to normal.”

“And this is only the first distractions. I have planned some more…”

And so, (Y/N) continued exposing her plan.

When she finished, everyone left the room with the same feeling: hope.

They had all been dreaming of that moment, and right now, they had a saying to change their fate. They had a saying to make sure that Sergei Dorokhov and Baron Zemo would pay for their sins.

_____________

“No one is going to say something about Speedy and the Ex bruises?” Tony asked his friends.

“Let it be, Tony” Bruce replied.

“Who wants to make bets?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the chapter? ^^  
> I'm sorry if it was a bit slow, but it has a great importance in regards to the following chapters.
> 
> Next chapter will be up in 2 or 3 days.
> 
> Comments are better than Pietro's accent.
> 
> Love,   
> Alice Maximoff


	25. Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro Maximoff didn't expect to fall in love. But he did, with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.  
> He didn't see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Get prepared...

**2 DAYS BEFORE**

**[Moscow, Russia]**

_[Wolfes without teeth, Of Monster and Men]_

He ran a thumb over its polished surface. Yet in the morning light, the brilliant gem glittered like the sun-kissed ocean lapping the sands. The brilliant red hue was so vivid it was how he imagined crystalline blood would appear if such thing existed.

Pietro stood there, transfixed by the enchanting jewel, its impossible smooth surface, its impossibly bright colors. A magnificent rainbow aurora surrounded it, giving off an ethereal glow.

Pietro closed his eyes, being forced to swim once more in the tide waters of the past. He remembered his mother’s hands. They were fragile and cautious, shaking gently as she reached for the hot tea. The red gem always shone on her ring finger. Its brightness mesmerized him, drawing the attention away from her subdued and greyish skin. Her hands were ashen where the sunlight caught them, giving away how much of a toll the sickness and work had taken. And then, the hands that once reassured him that his world was safe had turn to ashes.

Sometimes, the most beautiful memories are the worst, cutting the insides as if they were shards of glass.

Pietro tried to push away those thoughts to focus on others.

He was about to do what he had imagined so many times… and still his palms were sweaty and the adrenaline coursing through his system was shutting down his ability to think logically.

He bended down on one knee.

“Marry me, (Y/N)” he blurted.

_…_

_“Is **this** the way you’re going to propose to the love of your life? No way”_ his inner voice reprimanded him.

He stood up and began walking around the room.

Cold sweat glistened on is furrowed brow. With hands clasped tightly in front of his stomach he constantly fiddled with his knuckles, weaving his fingers in and out of each other while holding the ring inside them.

He had been practicing for a while, taking advantage of (Y/N)’s sleepiness.

But how could he propose? Would she prefer a large speech or a short one? How could he resume everything he felt for her in just a few words?

What would **she** say?

“Morning Pietro” (Y/N) whispered in his ear, standing behind him.

When Pietro turned around, (Y/N) couldn’t help but laugh. He was staring at her as if she’d just produced a rhinoceros from her pocket. What she couldn’t imagine was how the sparks in Pietro’s brain were desperately trying to connect the dots and instead just caused a short circuit. He looked like a pop-eyed toy from one of those claw machines at the fun fair.

Perfectly funny.

“Earth to Quicksilver!” Pietro heard her stifled giggles.

At last, one of the sparks in his brain lit and managed to make his hand move to put away the ring on his sweatpants’ pocket.

“Yeah… Yeah” he stuttered.

There was a brief outburst of laughter that (Y/N) could quickly brought under control.

“What was that?” she signaled Pietro’s pocket, smiling playfully.

Confusion and surprise finally washed away, a loose grin playing in Pietro’s lips: “I’ll show you tonight”.

“Hmm…” (Y/N) pouted.

Pietro shook his head: “Tonight. Don’t give me that puppy dog eyes.”

“Then I’ll see you after work”

(Y/N) stifled a surprised gasp as his soft lips captured hers, causing her body flush with heat. The heat seemed travelled through her veins, warming her.

But.

There it was. The pain throbbed in her guts, deep and warm, but not in a nice way. It felt like someone had their hand in there, squeezing her organs, first gently and then as hard as they could. She had had that pain going on for several days, increasing gradually as time passed and fluctuating during the day.

 _“Just some cramps or stomach ache. Maybe some out-of-date food. Come on, man up! It’s nothing”_ she thought.

“Are you okay?” Pietro asked worriedly. He had felt how her muscles had tensed.

“Yeah, just some stomach ache” she tried to play it down.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go to work…”

“It would compromise the mission and we’re almost done with it. It’s nothing” she smiled.

Maybe a coffee at work would soothe the pain she felt.

They always soothed it.

In fact, for the past three days, she had accustomed to take some of that coffees home to drink them at night, which would appease the pain. But that night she had forgotten to bring them.

“ _That must be it. I **need** some coffee. That’s all”_

She kissed Pietro quickly: “I have to go”

“See you tonight?”

“Tonight”

_____________________________________

The pain had an unpleasant warmth to it, eating her stomach. There was nausea too, just enough to make her hold onto the table for support and breath slow.

(Y/N) had often prized herself in ignoring pain and just rocking on regardless, but that just wasn’t possible right in that moment. She had tried to ignore it for the entire morning and the early afternoon by doing some paperwork, but right now, the pain owned her, dominated every thought, controlled every action.

“Joseph”, she shouted, “Where’s my coffee?”

She waited for her young assistant to appear at the door with a cup of that precious drink, but he didn’t. (Y/N) hadn’t seen him for the entire morning, but she desperately hoped him to arrive soon at the office.

The pain seared through her abdomen better than branding iron.

 _“I will go to find Joseph. If I only knew where is the room he gets the coffee from…”_ she thought.

Just as she tried to get up, her legs began trembling. She tried to take a step forward, but her legs gave up on their work.

…

(Y/N) lay on the ground, her face closed in a grimace. Every few minutes she would scream, calling Joseph. The pain had a raw quality, the realness of a person consumed by a pain with no end or limit. Then she would go quiet, just panting and closing her eyes.

She needed that **damn coffee**.

But, why?

A sudden thought crossed her mind. It was a memory form just some days ago.

 

 

_“How would you describe the addiction these people feel?” (Y/N) asked Andrei._

_“Imagine a rat gnawing on your living flesh. Now imagine you had a magic stick to poke that rat away with your hand, and if you poked that rat you would be filled with a glorious feeling of contentment and warmth. Now imagine you are told you’re not allowed to use that stick, or that if you want to have your magic stick back you must do something. You have morals and principles but the rat keeps on gnawing and you want that magic stick” Andrei replied._

(Y/N)’s eyes opened and widened with horror upon the realization.

And right in front of her was standing Sergei Dorokhov. He was smiling.

“At last!” he laughed.

As much as (Y/N) tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream. The beads of water started falling down one after another.

 

**How hadn’t she realized?**

“I thought the pills in your coffee wouldn't take effect. But at last!” he shouted joyfully.

 

_The pills._

_In your coffee._

 

His words kept resounding in (Y/N)’s head; over and over like the beat of a drum.

 

“Mons…ter…” (Y/N) managed to utter before the burning pain made her body curl into a fetal position.

“How didn’t you notice it?” Sergei asked, lowering himself to look at (Y/N) straight in the eye, “Didn’t you notice how you wanted more coffee each time, how you craved for it? We even let you take it home!”

 

“ _You have been their experiment all this time, not Andrei”_ her mind whispered.

 

The pain increased in waves, small lulls giving false hope of an end. Each peak robbed her ability to speak, sending her crashing to the bare boards.

“God, you are **so stupid**. I don’t even know why would the Avengers want you as one of them”

 

_The Avengers…_

_One of them…_

 

For perhaps a split second her grief was suspended, the surprise protecting her until it shattered like glass.

 

 _“HOW DOES HE KNOW I’M AN AVENGER?_ ” her mind shouted.

 

“N..no…” she couldn’t end her sentence. Her mind screamed out as pain drove through her back.

“Do not even try to deny it. I **always** knew. Did you really think I would be as stupid as you?” he hissed.

 

_He knew it all this time?_

 

She couldn’t believe what was happening. She didn’t want to anyway.

Every thought she just had became confused as the burning pain licked up her back like scorching fire. Pain took over her mind again, leaving just a little space for fear and shock.

“How?” she managed to whispered.

“Did you really thought I gave you the job because I liked you? I would killed you the moment you pointed at me with that gun. But you were an Avenger, so we all had to act surprised. The boss, Baron Zemo, didn’t want you dead” he spat.

 

_Baron Zemo wanted her alive? To experiment on her?_

 

_Why hadn't she realised before?_

 

Her enemies had prepared a nice and smooth path, perfectly signaled, towards the trap, and she had followed it happily, going right  **into the lion’s den**.

She hadn’t been deceiving anybody. Everybody had deceived her.

 

_But **how**? **How does he know I'm an Avenger**? Does he know **about Pietro** as well? What would happen to him?_

 

“How?” the muffled sobs wracked against her chest.

“I think it’s time for you to meet Baron Zemo. You’ll understand why”

(Y/N) lifted her head at the same time a man entered the room.

 

Once again, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

The scene was completely unbelievable, shocking really. Her mind was reeling, unable to comprehend or process the images it was being sent by her eyes.

 

_It couldn’t be **him**. **He** couldn’t be Baron Zemo._

 

She looked away, then looked back to see if he was still there.

He was.

 

“I expected a much warmer welcome from you, **honey** ”

_____________________________________

The small flickering flames were the only source of light in the room. The glowing colors leaped and twirled in a fiery dance, twinkling like stars in the hot swirling air. The polished silver cutlery shone brightly in the candles’ light, but their brightness was overshadowed by the bright red gem from the ring that rested just in the center of the table.

Just imagining (Y/N) stepping into the room made his breathing rapid and shallow. He could feel his pulse pounding in his temples. It was a relief to be sat, because with his legs shaking, he would surely trip.

He looked again at his hands. One of them hold a bouquet of dandelions.

(Y/N) always said that dandelions were like people: vibrant and cheerful in their youth. White and feathery when they get old until the day when their souls float away into the wind.

The other one held a paper, to which Pietro looked each two minutes, just to make sure he remembered everything he wanted to say.

His eyes scanned it one more time:

 

When I met you I didn’t just fell in love with you

I fell into you,

I am falling into you each time I look into your eyes

You’re and ocean, and I’m falling in,

drowning in the depths of who you are

Like you said, it’s scary in a way,

But it’s also the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced

You are the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced

And I will never let you go

 

Just as he was about to look at his clock his phone buzzed, notifying him that a message had been received. With his trembling hands, he took a look at it.

It was from (Y/N):

 

**“I won’t be coming home tonight. Too much work. Don’t forget to fetch the injections Banner sent at SHIELD’s base tomorrow. I’ll see you there. Love you.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:   
> I'm so nervous to know what you think about this chapter... *hides behind Steve's shield* XD  
> It was so beautiful and sad to write.
> 
> Just one chapter left for the gran finale.
> 
> Your comments give me life.   
> I appreciate them endlessly.
> 
> Love,  
> Alice Maximoff

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! There will be more moments between Pietro and the reader in the following chapters.  
> I'm sorry if there're some spelling or grammar errors. English is not my mother tongue, so I try to do my best!


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